Save me
by BeCkYbOnG
Summary: Once again, I was overwhelmed by the pain. But this time was different. This time I knew there was something worth enduring the pain. And the pain I felt now, was nothing compared to what I had ever felt before in my entire life.
1. Rescued

Preface

_Once again, I was overwhelmed by the pain. __But this time was different. This time I knew there was something worth enduring the pain. And the pain I felt now, was nothing compared to what I'd ever felt before in my entire life._

**Rescued**

The pain was excruciating – even though I was embraced by darkness. I feared to wake up, to feel any more pain than I felt now. Just the thought of opening my eyes made me scared. So instead of waiting for the more painful reality to find me, I tried to think around the pain.

All I could remember was the fall. Or maybe _the jump _was a better word, since I hadn't really _falled_ of that skyscraper. Yeah, that's actually what I did – I jumped right off a high building. Maybe the action was a bit exaggerated, but I had my reasons.

Recently, my dad died of a heartattack, which totally broke both mine and my mum's heart. And shortly after that, my best friend died of a car accident. Though that seemed to be enough for a 16-year-old girl to bear, my boyfriend broke up with me 4 days ago. Or maybe it was a week ago – it depended on how long I'd been onconscious.

Anyway, that was it for me. I was tired of dealing with all the misery that surrounded me. So I'd done what I'd thought was the best. Well, maybe not the best, but there hadn't been a lot of other choices.

Now that I was lying here, suffering, I understood how stupid I'd been to even think about jumping. It would have been better to try to get over the agony, instead of trying to get rid of it. 'Cause now I had even more pain to deal with.

While I thought over this, something suddenly occurred to me. I had actually jumped of a building – shouldn't I be dead then? I couldn't have survived that high fall – which had been my plan. But death shouldn't be this painful, right? Or was it?

And that's when a new memory came back to me.

Just before I'd been about to hit the wet ground, something hard had came at me – but from another direction. So instead of being mashed against the pavement, I'd been thrown a few meters away, before finally hitting the ground. But it wasn't hard pavement that met me – I'd somehow landed on a sandpit. It still hurt, but the sand kept me from being totally crushed.

My breath sped up when I remembered this, and I could feel the black slipping away - revealing a bright light coming from above of me.

It took me a few seconds to realize that I'd opened my eyes.


	2. Hospital

**Hospital**

My eyelids fluttered a little before they started searching the bright room. All I could hear was many beepings – coming from somewhere behind me. After a short while, I noticed that someone was sitting beside me. I tried to turn my head, but something hard was holding my neck still. I lifted my left hand, but realized that something else was dragging it back down. My breath came out in a sigh when I saw the needles that were stuck into my hand.

"Just relax, sweetie", a voice ordered me.

At once I recognized my mother's calm tone, and tears started building behind my eyelids.

"Mum?", I tried to say, but the words came out in a low whisper.

"I'm right here, Jess", she answered, and I could feel something warm touch my hand.

"Mum", I whispered again. "I'm so sorry"

It took a while before she answered me, and I guessed she was trying not to start screaming at me.

"Jessica, can you give me ONE reason why I shouldn't send you to a boarding school as soon as your out of this hospital?", she said in a low, but angry voice.

"I'm sorry", I said again, but this time my voice was a bit stronger.

She sighed and rested her head against the uncomfortable bed I was lying on.

"I know that, honey. But it still doesn't change anything, does it?", she whispered.

I didn't answer her, instead I let my hand slowly search for her. It didn't take long until my fingers found her soft, dark brown hair. I dropped my hand there, and hoped she would feel a bit comforted.

"Just tell me what you were thinking, Jessica", she said after a while.

"I don't know, mum. I'm sorry, but that's the only answer I've got", I told her honestly.

She lifted her head - which made my hand fall back down against the bed - and leaned over the bed so that she could look into my eyes.

"Jessica, like I said before; give me one reason why I shouldn't…."

"Mum, I've already told you – I don't know what I was thinking", I interrupted her. "I guess I just thought it was the best thing to do", I added in a low voice.

"You…you thought it would be the best to try to kill yourself?", she yelled at me – not able to hide her fury anymore.

I dropped my gaze so that I didn't have to look into her angry eyes.

"I…I didn't know what to do, mum. I was…devastated", I murmured.

"So you thought jumping off a building would help?", she asked, still in a fierce voice.

"No…I just…", I couldn't finish the sentence.

The tears that had been waiting behind my eyelids, now ran silently down my cheeks.

"You now I can't lose you, too", my mum whispered in a new tone, and I realized that she was also crying.

"I'm sorry", I whispered again and felt relieved that her anger was over for now.


	3. Help

**Help**

The days at the hospital went fast. Too fast. I didn't want to go home, or to go back to school. I was sure that the rumors were spread now, and I was probably the towns biggest and most interesting subject. After two weeks I was able to go home – which didn't make me feel as happy as I should have been. I hated the hospital, but no one else than my mum was able to visit me there.

"Can't I stay a little longer, mum?", I begged as she packed my bag.

"Sweetie, it's better to deal with everything now, than to wait. It's not going to get easier later"

"I know", I sighed. "But…."

"No but's, Jessica", she interrupted and gave me a strict look.

I sighed again, but tried to get up. It wasn't easy, with all the bandage that covered my body.

"Let me help you", my mum offered, but I raised my hand to stop her.

"I can do it", I muttered.

"You're the most stubborn child I've ever met", she murmured, mostly to herself.

I ignored her and once again tried to get up. It took me a few minutes before I finally made it.

"See, I don't need any help", I said to my mother.

She just rolled her eyes at me, and gripped my elbow so that she could lead me towards the door. This time I didn't object – there was no way I'd be able to walk all the way to the car.

When we finally got to the big, white house that was my home, I sighed again – but this time it wasn't an irritated or annoyed sound. I realized I'd missed this house, even though I'd just been away from it for 2 weeks.

"Does it hurt?", my mum asked – misreading my reaction.

"No, I'm okay", I mumbled and opened the door to get out of the car.

My mum quickly got up and hurried to the passenger side, so that she could help me.

"Mum, please", I whined.

"Jessica, you shouldn't strain yourself", she said in a soft voice.

"I can handle it myself", I protested, but she ignored me and helped me out of the car.


	4. Shock

**Shock**

I was allowed to stay home for a week, so that I wouldn't have to go to school looking like this. But after a few days I didn't need the bandages anymore – so I didn't have any reason to skip school.

"I still have a headache", I muttered when I'd finished my breakfast.

"We have medicine", my mum answered me simply.

"But…but….", I tried to find something good to say, but came up blank.

"Honey, if it gets that bad, you can call me and I'll come and pick you up", she promised. "But I don't want any unnecessary calls, okay?", she added in a strict tone.

"Yeah, yeah", I muttered and grabbed my bag.

My right leg was still broken, so I had to use crutches – which was seriously annoying.

I headed off to school, in a real slow pace – since my stupid crutches were hard to walk with.

I was halfway there when the first students showed up. Most of them just glanced at me, but some actually stopped to look at me with worried eyes. I tried to ignore the attention, but it wasn't easy when I could feel so many eyes on me.

It didn't get better when I reached the school. Even the teachers looked at me.

"Great", I muttered under my breath.

When I finally made it to the classroom, I was totally self-conscious, and I just wanted to throw away my crutches. But if I did that, I wouldn't be able to walk – and I would definitely not accept any more help.

"Good morning, miss Moore", my teacher, Mr. Cloth, greeted me.

"Good morning", I answered politely before I went to my seat beside Isaac Fall – a guy I'd been sitting with for a while, but never spoken to. Maybe it was his way of always ignoring me that kept me from saying anything, but I was kind of convinced that it was his ice blue eyes that stunned me.

It was easier to sit down now, so it didn't take _that _ long time for me to settle down. But my classmates still gave me irritated glares.

"Hello", a gentle voice suddenly greeted me.

I froze immediately. Then I peeked at the boy who shared my table, just to see if it was really him who had spoken.

"Uhm..hi", I mumbled after an awkward moment of silence.

His eyes stayed on mine for a few more seconds, before he turned to the teacher again.

'Did that really happen?', I asked myself. The answer was very simple to me – no, that could _not _ have happened. He had never even looked at me, so why would he all of sudden say 'hello' to me? It must have been out of pity for me.

"Miss Moore?"

My teacher's voice finally broke through, and I realized that I was still sitting halfway turned towards Isaac. I quickly repositioned myself and tried to pay attention to the lesson. Which didn't work at all.

I couldn't concentrate, so in the end of the lesson – I had no idea what my teacher had just told me and the rest of the class.

When the bell rang, I tried to get up from the chair – and failed. My arms just wouldn't cooperate.

I closed my eyes in frustration, and wished I'd never gone to school today – then I wouldn't have to stand this humiliation.

"Do you need help?", Isaac suddenly asked.

Once again, I was shocked to hear his voice. But now it was most of all, because I hadn't noticed that he was still here.

"No thanks", I answered, trying to keep my voice polite.

"Are you s…"

"I'm fine", I interrupted him.

I couldn't understand why he was talking to me, or why he even wanted to help me? Did I really look _that _helpless?

I continued to try to get up, but it just wouldn't work. When I sank back on the chair, he didn't ask if there was something he could do. Instead he suddenly appeared in front of me, and simply placed his hands on my arms, so that he could pull me up from the chair. I could feel his icy skin through my thin sweater.

"Hey", I said – startled – but I was already up.

"You're welcome", he said before he turned away from me, and walked right out of the classroom.


	5. Enough

**Enough**

I was still shocked when I walked home. The rest of the day had actually gone fast, and I'd pretty much gotten used to that everyone was staring at me. It would take a while before they got over my "suicide action". But I didn't really care – I'd never been popular, so at least I didn't have to worry about my reputation.

The house was dark when I came home, so my mum was still at work. Good. I didn't need _her _attention, too.

When I got inside, I saw that the answering machine was blinking. It was probably for my mum, but I couldn't resist pressing the button to hear who it was that had called.

"Hello. This is Mr. Cloth, Jessica Moore's teacher", the voice said. "I've heard about the…..erhm…accident, and I've spoken to the school nurse about it. We would like to offer Jessica a few weeks with a psychiatrist…"

I stopped the tape – I didn't want to hear anymore. Did they really think I would agree to this? That my mother would agree? Well, I was wrong about my mum.

"Honey, it might help", she said when we were eating dinner.

"Or it will just make it worse", I muttered.

"You can always try. If it doesn't work, then that's okay. At least try"

"NO!", I screamed. "I will NOT see some _psychiatrist" _

"Jessica, keep your voice down. It's not that bad…"

"Not that bad?", I growled at her.

"Listen, Jessica", she started in a soft voice.

"No, _you _listen, mum. I will not go, okay?"

I stood up, and felt relived that it worked this time.

"Thanks for the food", I muttered harshly, before I started off towards the stairs. Unfortunately, my crutches slowed me down, which kind of ruined the drama.

I stumbled up the stairs, and tried to hurry to my room before my mum came after me. I made it just in time to lock the door before she came up.

"Jess?", she murmured outside the door.

"Go away", I muttered under my breath.

"Please, let me in", she begged.

I shook my head; forgetting that she couldn't see that.

"Jessica?", she asked again, but I ignored her and lay down on the bed.

The tears started running shortly after that, and they didn't stop until I fell asleep at midnight.

(I'm working on the story, so more chapters will come soon)


	6. Frustrating

**Frustrating **

I didn't get a good nights sleep. Even when the tears had stopped, I hadn't been able to fully relax. So now, at 7 am, I was frustrated and _very_ tired. Still, when I entered the kitchen, I was fully dressed and as presentable as I could look.

It took a little while until I realized that the house was empty – my mum had already left for work. She was probably a bit upset after my bad behaviour last night. And I had to admit it – I'd been a little _too_ harsh. After all, she just wanted what was best for me. Even though we had very different opinions about _that _subject.

Now that my mum wasn't here - I had no idea what to eat. I was used to having her making breakfast for me, and I guess I was starting to get a little spoiled.

I sighed, and decided that I might as well skip breakfast. My mother would be pissed of later, but I was in such bad mood today that I didn't care about what I would have to deal with after school.

Once again, I grabbed my bag – and my crutches – and stepped outside. The sun was shining, and I immediately regretted that I'd put on my jeans today. Well, it wouldn't have looked good with a pair of shorts or a skirt, when you had plaster covering your leg.

It was easier to ignore all the looks I got, but it was still annoying. Why couldn't they just get over it and find something else to speculate over?

"Hey, Jess", someone called.

"Crap", I whimpered when I recognized my ex-boyfriend's voice.

I could hear his footsteps from behind me, and I knew it would be hopeless to even _try _to run away from him.

"What do you want, Zac?", I asked when he caught up with me.

"Well, I haven't talked to you since…uhm, so I just wanted to know if you were okay..."

"I'm fine", I sighed.

"Yeah, I guess so, but…well…I heard about the accident, and so…"

"I said I'm fine", I interrupted him.

It was quiet for a while before he said anything.

"Jessica, I know I behaved badly, but we could still be friends, you know"

"I…don't think that would work, Zac", I said as softly as I could.

"Why not?", he asked, and it was easy to hear that he was hurt.

I had no good answer to that. Or, actually I had, but I wasn't going to confess that I still liked him.

"It just won't work, okay?", I said.

It was obvious that he was shocked, because he even stopped walking. But I didn't have time to care – instead I continued on my way to school, feeling a little relieved that he didn't follow me.

I hurried to school – afraid that Zac might catch up with me again. But my fears were unnecessary. He didn't show up again, so obviously I had hurt him. Which didn't feel as good as it should have.

Since, I'd left so early, I was at school in plenty of good time. I thought I'd be the only one there, but strangely, my table wasn't empty. Isaac was already sitting there – reading a book that looked heavy.

I went to my place and sat down – keeping my gaze locked at the table. Of course, that didn't work very long. After a minute or two, I found myself peeking at him from the corner of my eye.

His special eyes were staring intent on the page he was reading, while his forehead wrinkled like something in the book was worrying him. His hair had a dark brown colour, which made his already white skin look even paler. It wasn't until now that I realized that I'd never really looked at him like this. At least I hadn't thought of how _beautiful _he was.

I blinked a few times to make my eyes leave his face – something that was very hard for me to do. So I kept looking at him until his blue eyes suddenly bored into mine. He raised one eyebrow at me, and I immediately blushed and looked down. My eyes stayed there until the lesson was over, and Isaac had left the classroom.

(Like I've said before; more chapters will come soon :D)


	7. Embarrassed

**Embarrassed**

I had to admit that I was kind of hiding from Isaac. Not that I had seen him outside anytime, but he could still show up. So that was why I'd been sitting in the empty school corridor for 20 minutes, hoping that no one would see me here. I'd had enough of the pupils staring for today.

The school day was almost over now, and I just had one lesson left. Unfortunately, I had to sit beside Isaac again – something I feared to do. I had not figured out an excuse for staring at him like that during the earlier lesson today. But if I was lucky, he would just ignore me like he usually did.

"Why are you sitting here?"

It was stupid of me to even have to _look _to understand who it was. I should have recognized that gentle voice – especially since I'd focused on hiding from this certain person.

I peeked up at him, not sure what to say. I didn't know why, but I was expecting him to look angry or something like that – since I'd been behaving strange before. But strangely, he was smiling, which made me speechless.

"Ehm….I was just….". I tried to come up with something good to say, but I had no idea what to tell him – I couldn't confess that I'd been _hiding _from him.

"Thinking?", he suggested, still smiling.

"Yeah, thinking", I agreed – ignoring the way his smile made my heart thump unevenly. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you", he said with a shrug.

"Oh, okay", I mumbled.

I half expected him to say 'Goodbye' and walk away, but instead he sat down beside me – which made me blush and look down at my hands. I didn't know what to say, so I kept my mouth shut. We sat in silence for a while, before I finally looked up at him. He was watching me with amused eyes, like something about me was funny.

"What?", I asked, feeling self-conscious.

"Nothing", he said and blinked a few times, like I'd startled him.

I pursed my lips, not really trusting him. I also felt a bit uneasy by the way he had stared at me. But after all, maybe that was how he had felt this morning when it had been _I _who had looked at _him _like that.

All of sudden, the bell rang – making me jump. I quickly got up and turned around to wait for Isaac, but he was already standing up.

"Ready for some Spanish?", he asked with a smile on his lips.

"Yeah", I murmured, and started off towards the classroom, with Isaac walking beside me.

I tried to come up with a new topic, but everytime I peeked at his beautiful face, I forgot everything – even my own name. Still, he didn't seem uncomfortable with the silence.

He held the door for me when we got to the classroom, and I smiled a little at him - deciding that being polite was better than keeping my mouth shut. I went to my seat and sat down as quickly as I possibly could. It didn't go well, and even though he didn't say anything, I could see him biting his lip like he was trying not to laugh. I just ignored him, and tried not to look at him – but of course I failed with that.

Once again, I found myself looking at him – fascinated by his perfect features. I didn't expect him to look back at me, but suddenly his blue eyes were staring at me with open curiosity. He was just about to say something when our teacher, Mrs. Cervera, interrupted us by starting the lesson.

I ducked my head, hiding my blush. His eyes had some strange effect on me, making my heart beat like I'd run a marathon race.

When the lesson ended, I got up and gathered my books slowly – not quite sure how to say goodbye to him. He waited for me, even though I was pretty sure that he had a car.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" My uncertainty made the words a question.

"I guess so", he replied with a smile. "Or, would you like a ride home?", he added.

I was so shocked that it took me a little too long to answer the simple question.

"O-okay", I stuttered.

I followed him out to the parking lot – not saying anything. I really wanted to come up with something smart to tell him, but like before – I came up blank. He watched me all the way to the car, which made me feel both flattered and self-conscious at the same time.

"Is this your car?", I asked - my eyebrows raised - when he stopped by a sleet, black car – a Mercedes. It looked expensive.

"Yes?", He made the word a question – obviously he hadn't foreseen my reaction.

"It's….pretty", I murmured.

He surprised me by laughing. Maybe it was a bit weird to compliment a _car, _but what did I know?

Isaac unlocked the doors and got inside. I followed his example, and tried to hurry so that he wouldn't laugh at me like before. But as usual, my attempts to be fast didn't work.

"You need any help?", he asked in a teasing voice.

I bit my lip so that I wouldn't say anything inappropriate. When I was finally sitting down, with my seatbelt fastened, he hit the gas pedal and we raced away from the school building.


	8. Different

**Different**

The ride home was both quiet and embarrassing at first. I was kind of waiting for Isaac to say something, at the same time as he was expecting _me _to talk. The silence was getting quite awkward when he finally spoke.

"How are you feeling?", he asked with concern in his voice.

"What?", I asked – confused.

Instead of answering, he glanced at my leg – which was covered with plaster.

"Oh, that", I said, understanding his question now. "I'm just fine", I added, stopping a sigh before it could escape my lips.

After all, my leg didn't hurt anymore. It was more painful to stand all the concern and compassion that I had to deal with. But when I thought about it, I couldn't do anything else than to admit that it was my own fault. If I hadn't jumped, then I wouldn't…

"I didn't mean just that" Isaac's gentle voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Then what did you mean?", I asked, once again not understanding him.

"Well, you've gone through quite much, haven't you?", he pointed out.

"What do _you _know about that?", I muttered under my breath.

He was quiet again, so I peeked at him – making sure he hadn't heard my angry comment. His lips were pressed tight together, like he was trying not to laugh, which made me suspicious.

"Is something funny?", I asked, scowling at him.

"No", he answered, but there was a faint smile lightening up his face.

I didn't say anything, instead I looked away from his glorious face, while my lower lip puckered out in frustration. I didn't like to feel as self-conscious as I felt now.

"Jessica?", he asked in a softer tone. I unwillingly turned to him again.

"What?"

"You're not upset, are you?", he asked, still smiling.

"I…you…just…", I tried to come up with anything to say – something that wouldn't completely hurt his feelings - but I couldn't form a sentence.

He chuckled at my confusing words, but his eyes were more serious. He continued to look at me, which scared me a bit – since he was still driving the car. But besides from that, I was flattered by the way his eyes scrutinized my face.

I sat quiet, waiting for him to look at the road again. But his eyes didn't leave my face, which made me a little nervous. What if he drove off the road, or something like that?

Suddenly, the car came to a stop, and I blinked a few times – surprised. I realized that we were parked outside my house.

"Oh", I tried to say, but my voice came out in a whisper. I had to clear my throat a few times before I could say anything more. "Thanks for the ride", I added.

"No problem", he murmured; he still hadn't looked away.

"See you tomorrow", I mumbled before I opened the car door.

He didn't answer, instead he watched me as I closed the door and hurried to the house. His eyes were filled with a yearning I couldn't understand.

When I was freed from his gaze, I could finally think straight. But even though my thoughts weren't as clouded as before – I still didn't realize that my mother was home until she suddenly called:

"How was your day, honey?"

A low gasp escaped my lips, but it was so quiet that my mum wasn't able to hear it.

"Ehm, just fine", I called back – struggling to remember how the day had started. The moment with Isaac had chased away everything else.

"I saw that you got a ride home. Who was that? Zac?" Her voice closer now.

"Well, no…I mean…"

Why couldn't I speak properly today? It was extremely irritating now that I had to come up with a good explanation.

"What's the matter with you?", she asked, appearing a few feet away.

"Nothing, I'm just tired. I'll go upstairs for a while and…rest", I mumbled.

"You do that, sweetie", she agreed – more concern in her voice. Did I look sick? Or was she just worrying about how distant my voice sounded – like my thoughts were far away, which they practically were.

"Yeah, yeah", I murmured, and started off towards the stairs before she could ask anything else about my ride home.

But I wasn't quick enough.

"Wait, Jess", she called after me and I knew that I couldn't escape her questions. "_Was_ it Zac that drove you home?"

"No, mum", I sighed, deciding to tell her the truth – she would find out anyway. "Isaac Fall offered me a ride home"

"Isaac Fall?", she asked – bright surprise in her voice.

"Yes", I mumbled – starting to get a bit irritated.

"Is he a _friend _to you, or what?", she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Mum, he just drove me home – out of politeness, you know", I said, slowly starting to walk again.

"Well, I know but…I just don't want…"

"Relax. He was just being nice – nothing else, okay?"

"Okay, okay", she said – either trusting my words, or just deciding that it was a hopeless case.

I walked faster now – eager to get some time alone. When I finally closed the door to my room, I sighed and sat down on my bed. My mother had probably not asked _all _of her questions, and I needed to clear my thoughts so that I could give her better answers. I didn't want her to get more suspicious than she already was.

I sighed again, and fell back onto my back with my eyes closed. I fell asleep quickly after that – strangely exhausted after the many emotions I'd felt today.


	9. Changes

**Changes**

_A few reviews would be lovely – and they would probably make me __feel a bit more self-confident :D _

_//BeCkYbOnG_

When I woke up in the morning, I was starving. Since I'd fallen asleep early yesterday, I'd missed dinner. My mum had obviously not wanted to wake me up – probably thinking that I was sick.

I threw a quick glance at the clock on my desk and saw that I wasn't in any hurry. So I chose my clothes slower than usual – not wanting to go down and talk to my mother. I was sure that she had more questions now.

But when my hair was brushed, and I was wearing my favourite jeans with a pink sweater – the weather wasn't very good – I couldn't put it off anymore. I went down the stairs in a slow pace, using my crutches as an excuse to take it more careful than usual. I tried to be quiet, so that she wouldn't notice me – but unfortunately she was standing in the kitchen, making breakfast for me.

"Oh, are you up already?", she asked, startled by my appearance.

"No, I'm sleeping", I said, heavy sarcasm in my voice.

She ignored my answer, and brought me a plate.

"Your pancakes will be ready in a few minutes", she said in a tone that made it clear that she didn't like when I behaved like that.

"Yummi", I said – trying to make her happier. After all, I didn't want her to be unhappy.

She shook her head at me, but smiled – easily noticing that I was just trying to please her. She went back to the oven, finishing my breakfast. I couldn't come up with anything to say, and I didn't want her to remember yesterday's subject. I didn't have any more answers, so I kept my mouth shut while she was still a bit distracted.

"Here you go", she said, bringing two pancakes to my plate.

"Thanks", I said earnestly, digging in on the food immediately – burning my tongue.

"Take it easy, honey", she said in a tone that wasn't too stern.

"But I'm hungry", I protested, not slowing down.

"Well, I guess it's your tongue. But don't whine later when you're in pain"

I sighed, and tried to tune her voice out. I hadn't got any dinner, so of course I was hungry. And she was actually the one who was responsible for that, since she hadn't woken me up.

"Would you like to tell me more about that guy who gave you a ride home yesterday? His name was Isaac, right?"

I gulped, hoping that I'd just imagined those words. It was just unbelievable that she was asking about the exact thing I didn't want to talk about. I mean, _I _didn't even know why Isaac had offered me a ride home, so how would I explain it to my mother?

"Would you?", my mum prompted.

"What do you want to know?", I sighed, not coming up with any better answer.

"Well…how long have you known him? You've never told me about him"

"I don't really know him, I've just talked with him a few times"

She seemed to find that answer a bit pleasing - she'd probably been fearing that I'd found a new boyfriend. And of course she didn't like _that _idea, after what had happened when Zac had broken up with me.

"Then why did he offer you a ride?"

Of course she had to ask the question that was quite impossible for me to answer. _Of course._

"I honestly don't know", I told her, trying to assure her.

"Hmpf", was the only answer I got.

"Mum, I have to go now – don't want to be late for school, you know", I said, getting up as I spoke. "See you later", I added – walking away before she had time to say anything else.

I could hear my mum following me, so I opened the front door – but stopped in the doorway. Isaac's black car was parked a few meters from the house. I looked back just in time to see my mother coming out from the kitchen. Uh-oh.

Isaac got out of the car and I started to panic. This was so not happening. I knew he was just trying to be nice, but did he have to pick _this _moment?

"Good morning", he called, a smile lightening up his beautiful face.

I was just about to answer, when I realized that my mum was standing right behind me.

"Is this Isaac?", she murmured, half angry and half surprised.

"Uhm, yeah", I answered and started to walk to the car.

"Goodbye, Jess", she called, sounding more like a parent now.

I didn't answer her, instead I took the last steps to his black Mercedes. When I reached him, he got inside the car without a word – which surprised me. Was I just supposed to get in?

I threw a quick glance behind my shoulder, to see if my mother was still standing in the doorway, but she wasn't there anymore. But if I knew her right, she was probably standing in the living room – peeking through the curtains.

I ignored my uncertainty and opened the passenger door. When I was sitting down – faster than I would have hoped for – he turned to me, still with a smile on his lips.

"I thought you could need a ride", he said, glancing at my crutches.

"That's not necessary. I can take care of myself", I said coldly.

"Really?", he murmured so low that I wasn't sure if he'd really said it.

I ignored him anyway, and stared out the window as he drove. I was sure that my mum would freak out later, but I'd just have to take it. It was probably worth it.

Even though I was still angry at his comment, I peeked at him – wanting to see his marvellous face again. He was looking at me too, somehow managing to drive the car perfectly even though he wasn't looking at the road.

Just like yesterday, his beauty stunned me - making my heart to thud faster. It was impossible to tear my eyes away from him, so I was still looking at him when we reached the school. I quickly looked away from him when his eyes had to leave mine, since he had to focus on parking the car.

"Jessica?", he suddenly asked – I could feel his eyes on my face again.

"Yes?"

"I hope your mother doesn't dislike this", he said in a tone that sounded troubled.

"Dislike what?", I asked in a nonchalant tone, while my heart started to thump unevenly.

He smiled at me, like he'd heard my heartbeat, even though that was quite impossible for a human. But his expression changed back when he answered my question.

"Me driving you to school"

"Well, it has just happened twice, so I think she'll survive", I said, a smile playing at the corners of my mouth.

"Would she disapprove if it happened again?", he asked, his smile becoming a bit more taunting.

"Uhm…are you saying that it _will _happen again?", I asked, not able to keep my tone nonchalant anymore.

"We'll see", he said, smiling hugely at me.

I couldn't help but to smile back at him.


	10. Feelings

**Feelings**

_Thanks for the lovely reviews I got from Lovizha and nighthunter09 :D __They were really nice (: _

My first lesson was Maths – which I had with Isaac. So we walked together through the crowd of pupils, while some of them stared at us and some just stared at me – since I was the freak in school. I sighed, and Isaac glanced at me with a curious look. I pretended not to notice.

It took quite a while for us to reach the classroom, since my crutches were slowing us down. Maybe if I hadn't been peeking at him all the time – making it harder for me to walk straight – we would have gotten there faster.

When I got to my seat, I realized that he wouldn't be sitting next to me – something that strangely made me a bit upset. I shook my head, somehow trying to shake off those stupid feelings. But I couldn't really get rid of them, which irritated me. What was wrong with me? First of all, I didn't even _know _him. And second of all, he was sitting at the bench in front of me, so why was I longing for him? My only answer was that I had literally gone mad now.

I kept peeking at him – like I always did. Sometimes he was looking at me too, which made me blush.

"Miss Moore?", my teacher, Mr. Samson, called, trying to make me pay attention to the lesson.

"Ehm…what?", I asked, feeling like a complete idiot.

"The answer?", he asked in an irritated tone.

"What?", I repeated, flushing a deep red.

He sighed and chose another pupil. I looked down at the table immediately, still with a blush on my cheeks. I almost kept my eyes there for the rest of the lesson, except for the few times when I quickly glanced up to look at Isaac. He was staring intently at me all the time, which made it impossible for my blush to disappear.

When the bell finally rang, I got up from the chair and started to gather my things. I turned around and almost ran into Isaac. He had to grab my shoulders so that we wouldn't collide. Even though my sweater was quite thick, his cold skin made me shiver involuntary. He noticed that, and let go of me as fast as he could. His eyes were full of regret. I didn't understand his reaction at all, but I didn't bring it up since he looked quite upset.

"Are you driving me home, too?", I asked, mostly out of curiosity, but also because I wanted to erase that sad look in his eyes.

"Of course", he answered in a shocked tone – obviously he thought of it as a matter of course that he would drive me home.

"Just asking", I murmured.

He smiled at my comment, but didn't say anything. I was a bit relieved to see that his eyes were back to normal. Well, as normal as they could be.

"Jess", someone called from behind me. Not just someone – it was Zac.

"No", I whispered to myself, starting to panic again.

I looked up at Isaac, who was staring at me with amused eyes. I knew he found my expression funny, but I didn't have time to get irritated at him.

"Isn't that your ex-boyfriend?", Isaac mumbled to me, still with an amused look on his face.

"Yeah", I muttered, and gave him an angry look.

"Jessica", Zac said, standing at my other side.

"What do you want now?", I sighed.

"Ehm, I just wanted to talk to you…", he mumbled, glancing at Isaac.

"Well, I'm a bit busy right now, if you haven't noticed", I said – my voice getting angrier. "So goodbye", I added and started to walk away as fast as I could.

I didn't hear anyone following me, so I sighed out of relief. But when I glanced to the right, Isaac was walking silently beside me. A low gasp escaped my lips. He saw my frightened expression.

"Did I scare you?", he asked in an incredulous voice.

"No", I lied, but he easily saw through it.

"Sorry", he said, his tone sincere.

"I told you I wasn't scared", I said in a sour tone.

"And I didn't believe you", he answered, his voice not angry at all.

I sighed and looked away – apparently it was impossible to win an argument. We walked in silence till we reached the classroom where my next lesson was. I knew he had to leave me now – for a while at least – and it hurt a bit, knowing that I wouldn't see him until after school.

"I'll see you at lunch", he murmured to me.

I grabbed his arm just before he had time to walk away from me. His skin was extremely cold, but I didn't show the shock I felt inside. I didn't want him to get upset again.

"At lunch?", I asked, my eyebrows raised.

"Yeah", he said slowly, but with a smile on his lips. "Unless you want to sit with Zac", he added, his smile becoming teasing. Before I had time to answer, he walked away.

I wanted to shout something at him, but I was able to keep my mouth shut. I made it all the way to my table, almost sighing out of relief when I got to sit down. Unfortunately, I didn't have the desk for myself. Gary Brook shared my table, even though none of us enjoyed sitting beside each other. But the teacher wouldn't listen to our complaints.

"Hi Jessica", he greeted me – like he always did, out of politeness.

I just nodded at him, not caring to be nice. My irritation hadn't faded yet, and I didn't want to say something unfriendly to him – which I probably would if I opened my mouth.

Somehow I made it through the day, even though it seemed like the time went slower just to annoy me. But eventually it was time for lunch, and I rushed – well, _almost_ rushed, since I couldn't run with a broken leg – to the cafeteria.

I could easily find him in the large room – his beauty standing out from the other pupils. I hurried to the table, struggling to make my way through the crowd of hungry students. He watched me all the way with an amused look that I was starting to recognize. When I got to his table, I realized that I hadn't bought any food.

"Damn", I sighed and turned around to get some lunch.

Before I had time to take one step, a cold hand grabbed my arm. I froze immediately – an automatic response.

"I'll get it for you", he mumbled, dropping my arm quickly before he walked away.

I stood there for a few seconds, not sure what to think or what to do. I finally decided to sit down at the table he had picked out. It was in the corner of the cafeteria, so that nobody would disturb us. Well, not like someone would do that otherwise, but anyway.

Isaac was back faster than I would have expected. Hadn't there been a pretty long queue?

"Here you go", he said with a warm smile on his lips, and handed me tray overloaded with food.

"Uhm, thanks", I said and swallowed loudly.

"Is there something wrong?", he asked, his smile fading.

"No, no", I assured him quickly. "There's just so much", I explained.

He chuckled, but put some of the food on his empty tray. I watched his movements, forgetting all about my food.

"Aren't you going to eat?", he asked, glancing meaningfully at my tray.

I blushed and picked up a slice of bread. I wasn't really hungry now that my stomach was filled of butterflies – but he had after all brought me food, so it felt rude not to eat it. I continued to watch him at the same time as I ate.

He didn't eat very much, but maybe he just wasn't hungry – like me.

"I'm done now", I said when I was finished with my slice of bread.

One of his eyebrows arched upwards when he saw my tray that was still filled with food, but he didn't say anything. Instead he quickly, and gracefully, got up and waited for me to do the same.

He followed me to the classroom, like before, and I felt a bit flattered – even though I didn't want to admit it. But it wasn't like when Zac had been the one who'd followed me to the classes. Isaac was totally different. And my feelings for him were also completely different.

I sighed, and shook my head in an attempt to get rid of those thoughts. But everything came back everytime I looked into his blue eyes.

"See you in an hour", I said in a quite sad voice.

He slowly reached out for me. I stood very still – not really sure how to react. His hand touched mine for a few seconds, before he abruptly turned around and hurried down the corridor.

My breath got stuck in the throat, and my thoughts were dizzy when my last lesson started.


	11. Secrets

**Secrets**

_From now on I will try to write as much as I can everyday, so that you won't have to w__ait very long for new chapters ;) _

_As I've said before, I would love more reviews – it really makes me feel happier (: _

The lesson went faster than I would have expected – maybe because I really wasn't paying attention to _anything. _My thoughts got even more clouded when the bell rang, and I knew that I would see Isaac in just a few minutes.

'_Stupid, stupid, stupid', _I thought to myself as I got up and gathered my books. There just had to be something wrong with me.

I walked slower than usual, trying to make my thoughts clearer before I met Isaac. But of course my teacher noticed that, and eyed me suspiciously.

"Are you alright, Miss Moore?", she asked.

I just nodded, and walked faster. I didn't want her to offer me help.

When I got out from the classroom, I looked around – expecting him to be waiting for me. But he was nowhere to be seen. I was just about to go looking for him, when a cold hand touched my back.

A low hiss escaped my lips, and I turned around with a shocked expression on my face. I immediately realized that it was just Isaac, but it took a little longer for me to compose my face again.

"You have to stop scaring me like that", I mumbled.

"I thought I _didn't _scare you before?" He chuckled at me.

"Well…I…I wasn't…", I ended my complicated sentence with a sigh. Once again, it was impossible to say something clever to him.

He laughed again, and started walking to the parking lot. I hurried to his side, and tried to match his pace. He noticed that and walked slower. I thought about saying 'thanks', but then I remembered my previous irritation and ignored thanking him.

The silence wasn't awkward, like it had been the first time I'd met him. Now it felt more like we both _preferred _being quiet. So we didn't say anything until we got to the car.

"Would it be okay for you if we went to the hospital first?", he asked in a cautious voice. "It won't take long", he assured me.

"Sure", I said with a shrug, trying to sound nonchalant.

Well, at least I tried – and failed. He easily saw my curious look.

"It's…personal", he explained.

"I didn't ask", I pointed out.

He smiled at me before he got inside the car. This time I didn't hesitate – like I'd done this morning. I opened the passenger door, and sat down on the comfortable seat.

Before I'd fastened my seat belt, he started the car and carefully drove away from the parking lot. I looked out the window as he drove to the hospital. The road was quite familiar to me. I'd been the kind of kid that had always found something to trip over. But it was also familiar, since I'd recently spent two weeks there.

I sighed and let my eyes wander down to my hands. The memories of my time there weren't very pleasant, and I didn't want to think about it.

"What is it?" Isaac's gentle voice made me feel a tiny bit better inside.

"Nothing", I murmured. "I just remembered something"

"Oh", he said, quickly understanding. "About that", he continued, but I interrupted him.

"Please. I don't want to talk about it"

"It's important", he promised.

"I still don't feel like talking about it", I mumbled.

He sighed and looked at me with sad eyes. His expression was so beautiful that I couldn't resist giving him what he wanted.

"Okay, what is it?", I asked.

"Well, you jumped from a really high building. Hasn't it ever occurred to you that you shouldn't…be alive?", he asked. His eyes left my face, as if he didn't want to reveal something.

"Uhm…", I said slowly, not understanding what his point was. I frowned at him, trying to figure out what he meant.

Suddenly, a memory came back – just like it had done when I'd been on the hospital.

"Do you know something?", I asked, my voice suspicious.

"No", he said too quickly.

I swallowed loudly and rested my head against the car seat. I knew he was hiding something from me, but I also knew that he wouldn't tell me. I closed my eyes and sighed.

The rest of the ride was quiet, but I could feel the tension radiating from his body. He had obviously said too much.

I felt the car stop, but I didn't open my eyes until his hand brushed lightly against my arm. His touch made my heart race, but I ignored it.

"I'll be back soon", he murmured, and I felt the car shake lightly as he opened the door and got out.

I watched him as he walked to the main entrance. He glanced over his shoulder once, and didn't seem surprised to find me looking at him too. He winked at me before he disappeared into the white building.

As he had promised, it didn't take very long. He was back after only a few minutes, with a white plastic bag in his hand.

He got inside and turned around so that he could put the bag on the backseat. I thought I saw something red in the bag, but I wasn't sure if I just imagined it.

Isaac started the car again and made a U-turn so that he could drive back towards the area where I lived.

"You're not going to tell me what's in that bag, huh?", I asked after a little while.

"No", he answered simply, but with a smile on his lips.

"Why not?"

"Because you don't want to know", he mumbled.

"If I don't want to know, then why am I asking you?", I challenged.

He rolled his eyes at me, still smiling. I smiled back, but looked down, since his eyes were making it harder for me to think.

"Your mother is home", he said when he parked the car in front of my house.

"How can you know that?", I asked with my eyebrows raised.

He didn't answer – instead he looked away from me.

"I'll see you tomorrow then", I muttered and got out from the car.

I walked slowly to the front door, not wanting to meet my mother again. She was probably extremely angry, especially now that she'd seen Isaac driving me home too.

I didn't have to check if she was home – I trusted Isaac's words, even though he hadn't given me an explanation to _how _he could be so sure about it.

"Jessica?", she called from the living room when I'd closed the door.

I could hear her footsteps as she walked to the hallway where I stood – helpless. The only thing I could come up with was to walk to my room, even though I probably wouldn't have a chance to get very far before she stopped me.

I had only taken a few steps when she entered the room.

"And where are you going?", she asked in a strict voice.

"Nowhere", I sighed and turned around.

She walked over to where I stood, so that she could look into my eyes. Even though she was a few centimetres shorter than me, it felt like it was _she _who was long enough to hover over me.

"I want an explanation", she ordered.

"I've already told you. I don't really know him – he just wants to help me"

"Jessica, I don't want anyone to hurt you. Especially not after what happened a few weeks ago.

"I know, mum", I said with a sigh. "But Isaac is different"

"I thought you said you didn't know him" Her eyes narrowed as she said this.

"Well…I just know he won't hurt me"

"You can't be sure about that, honey"

"Mum, just trust me this time", I begged.

"Just…just don't get your heart broken", she murmured and hugged me.

I returned the hug, and felt relieved. Usually it could take days before my mother agreed to something. I didn't know what had changed now.

"I'll go upstairs for a while", I said after a minute.

"Homework?", she guessed, releasing me from her arms.

"Yeah", I answered with a smile, even though it wasn't true. In fact, I just needed a little time to think everything through.

When I entered my bedroom, I decided to sit in my armchair instead of resting on the bed. The last time I'd done that, I'd fallen asleep and missed dinner.

My thoughts were much clearer now that I sat in my empty and silent room, so it was easier to get everything straight.

I knew there was something strange about Isaac. There was no other way to explain the way he looked – the cold, pale skin and the ice blue eyes that certainly weren't normal. And I was sure that I'd seen something red in the plastic bag he had gotten from the hospital.

But I had no idea what he was. It felt strange to even think like that, since I'd never believed in the unnatural.

I left the subject quickly, not wanting to speculate over it too much. And there was actually something else I knew I couldn't tell anyone. Even though Isaac wasn't normal, I already had these feelings for him – which were hard to ignore. There was no way I could forget how much I liked him, which was the reason why I felt extremely safe when I was around him.

"Jessica", my mum called from the kitchen. "I've made some snacks"

"Coming", I called back and got up from the chair.

The rest of day passed quite fast, but not quick enough for me to get rid of the longing I felt. I hoped Isaac would pick me up for school tomorrow too, but I wasn't sure if my mum would agree to that.

Fortunately, that problem was solved later when I was eating dinner with my mother.

"Jess?", she asked after a short moment of silence.

"Yeah?"

"I hope it's okay with you", she started, her expression apologizing. "I'm going away for the rest of the week"

"Oh", I said, both relieved to have the house for myself, and shocked because I hadn't thought she would leave me alone already. Maybe she trusted me enough to believe that I wouldn't try to kill myself again.

"Is it okay?"

"Of course, mum. You know I don't mind being alone"

"I know, sweetheart. I just hate leaving you"

"It's your work", I said with a shrug, and started eating my food again.

"I guess so", she agreed. "I'll leave early tomorrow, so you'll have to make your own breakfast. I'll be back on Friday, and…"

I tuned her voice out like I usually did when she started acting too much like a parent.

"Jess, listen to me", she said and snapped her fingers in front of my eyes.

"What?", I asked, startled.

"I don't want you to invite someone while I'm gone, you hear that?"

"Yeah, yeah", I sighed and rolled my eyes.

The discussion pretty much ended there, and we ate the rest of the dinner in silence. I decided to go to bed early, hoping that the night would pass faster so that I could see Isaac again. My mum didn't seem to notice, which made it easier for me to fully relax and fall asleep quicker than I expected.


	12. Visit

**Visit**

_Thanks __to nighthunter09, Nikki-5868, Lovizha and Scottish shadows for the reviews :D_

A loud honking woke me up in the morning. I groaned and pressed my pillow over my head to tune the sound out. Who made such noises at 7 o'clock in the morning?

After a few seconds, the honking stopped, and I could hear a car door being opened. Suddenly, the door bell rang and I immediately pulled the pillow away. I glanced at the clock and saw that I'd been wrong about the time. It was 8 am.

I jumped out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a blue sweater. My hair was probably a mess, but I didn't have time to care about that. Instead I hurried down the stairs – blaming my crutches for slowing me down – and opened the door.

Isaac was standing outside, a teasing smile on his lips.

"Were you planning on making it to school _today?"_, he asked, his tone matching his smile.

I stared at him with a sour expression, not enjoying his attempts to joke.

"A bit grumpy today?", he asked.

"You would be that too if I woke you up by making extremely annoying noises"

"What else was I supposed to do? It was the only way to wake you up"

"No, you could have…", I stopped the sentence when I realized that I didn't know what to say. "Oh, never mind", I sighed and walked past him to his car.

I didn't hear him following me, but I could guess that he was right behind me. I was kind of getting used to all the strange things about him; like his eyes and the way he moved without making any sound at all.

I got inside the car without glancing back. After only two seconds, he opened the door to the driver's seat and got in. I let my eyes wander to the clock on the dashboard, wondering if we would be at school in time.

"So", he said casually when he started the car. "Did your mother give you a hard time yesterday?"

"Not really", I answered with a shrug.

"Good", he said with a smile on his lips. "I don't want to cause any trouble between you and your mother"

"Trust me. I've had worse", I sighed.

He chuckled at my words at the same time as he parked the car. I hadn't noticed that we were already at school.

"How fast did you drive?", I asked him in a sceptic voice.

He laughed again, but ignored my question and got out from the car. I hurried after him, which was easier now that I was starting to get used to the crutches.

Like yesterday, he followed me to the classroom – even though his own lesson started in just a few minutes. Once again, he brushed his hand against mine before he walked away from me.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I didn't really notice the time passing until the bell rang and it was time for lunch. My heart immediately started beating faster, and I walked as fast as I could to the cafeteria.

This time I remembered to buy food. Unfortunately the queue was so long that it took me a few minutes before I could finally sit down at the table where Isaac already sat, waiting for me.

"Hi", I mumbled, a bit embarrassed by the way his eyes scrutinized my face.

"Hello", he answered with a polite smile on his lips.

I ate my food fast – hungry after skipping breakfast. Isaac watched me all the time, which made me feel very awkward. But I tried to ignore it as much I could.

"Finished?", he asked when my tray was empty.

I nodded and got up from the chair. He led the way to my next classroom, while I walked in silence. He didn't speak again until we stood outside the door to the room where my next lesson would be held.

"I'll wait for you in the car, okay?", he murmured to me before he carefully stroked my cheek.

His eyes were wary, but a faint smile was lightening up his face. I stood extremely still, not able to move an inch.

After just a few seconds, he turned around and almost ran down the corridor. I stared after him with raised eyebrows – still not able to turn around and enter the classroom. I stood like that for a minute until the bell rang and more students started to arrive.

The last two lessons went as quickly as the others had before, so it felt like just a few minutes had passed when the last lesson ended and I walked to the parking lot.

Isaac's car was easy to find – the black Mercedes looked more expensive than the other cars. I tried to find my self-confidence but everytime I saw him sit in the car, new butterflies started to fly around in my stomach.

I took a deep breath before I opened the door to the passenger seat and got inside the car. My heart was pounding hard in my chest, but I tried to keep my expression nonchalant as I fastened my seat belt. Isaac started the car without a word and drove away from the school area.

"No trip to the hospital today?", I asked.

"No", he said with a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

I smiled back at him but quickly looked away, afraid that his smile might make my heart race even faster than it already did. I didn't look up until he parked the car outside my house.

"Would you like…", I couldn't finish the sentence, since a blush had appeared at my cheeks.

"What?", he murmured.

"Would you like to come in for a minute?", I mumbled – embarrassed.

"I would, but your mother…"

"She's not home", I interrupted him.

He smiled at me before he got out from the car. I followed his example, and hurried so that I could open the front door. He walked silently behind me, probably noticing how nervous I was.

I closed the door when he was inside. When I turned around, he wasn't in the hallway anymore.

"Isaac?", I called.

"In here", he answered from the kitchen.

"Uhm, are you hungry?", I asked when I got to the room where he was.

He chuckled, but shook his head.

"Then why are you here?"

He shrugged, as if the answer was unimportant. I was just about to ask him again when he walked closer. He didn't stop until his face was just a few inches from mine. I closed my eyes and leaned closer.

I could feel the cool breeze against my face when he moved away from me so quickly that he was several meters away when I opened my eyes again.

"I should go", he murmured, almost to himself.

"Why?", I asked while I slowly took a step closer.

"It's just not good for you to be with someone like me"

"Someone like you?", I asked – not understanding him at all.

He hesitated, and I knew that he'd once again said too much.

"You can tell me, you know", I mumbled and took another step towards him.

"Jessica, you don't want to know", he sighed.

"Yes, I do", I said in an irritated tone.

He took a deep breath before he spoke again.

"You really want to know what I am?", he asked.

"Yes", I answered in a voice as low as a whisper.

"I'm a….", his eyes closed before he continued the sentence. "vampire"

_Sorry if you guys had to wait for a long time, but I haven't known what to write. I'll try to finish next chapter quicker ;)_


	13. Love

**Love**

_Sorry if you had to wait a long time for this chapter, but I'__ve had a lot of homeworks, so it's been hard to write the story at the same time. But now I'm done with chapter 13, and I'll start writing the next chapter immediately (: I'll REALLY try to write faster ;)_

_It would be nice to hear what you think about "Save me", so just review and tell me :D _

A shocked laughter escaped my lips, which made him open his eyes again.

"You're a vampire?", I asked – struggling to keep my voice calm.

Isaac stared at me with an unreadable expression.

"You don't believe me?", he finally asked. One of his eyebrows arched upwards.

"I _do _believe you. It's just hard to…to understand", I mumbled.

None of us said anything else, and the silence was starting to get a bit awkward. After a minute, I couldn't stand the tension, so I took the last steps between us and carefully laid my arms around him. He didn't return the hug, but I could feel his body relax the tiniest bit. His icy skin wasn't as surprising as it had been before, but it was still cold enough to make me freeze.

"Don't you have any questions?", he asked after we'd been standing like that for a moment.

"Questions?", I mumbled against his chest.

He placed his hands on my shoulders and pulled me away so that he could look into my eyes.

"About what I am", he explained.

"Oh", I said, trying to sound casual about it. "Well, there are a few things I would like to know about…"

He didn't say anything, but I assumed that I was allowed to ask.

"If you're a vampire, then don't you drink…blood?", I asked and hoped that he hadn't noticed how I'd hesitated before the last word.

"What makes you think I don't drink blood?", he asked; one of his eyebrows was still raised.

"Well, how come I'm still alive?", I pointed out.

"I don't hunt people" His voice was so low that it was hard to pick out the words.

"Then how…"

"Donated blood", he said, interrupting me before I could finish my question. Obviously he had foreseen what I would ask.

"The hospital", I suddenly remembered. "That's where you get it from?"

He nodded stiffly and looked away from me.

"We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to", I murmured after a short moment of silence.

"No, it's okay", he sighed and turned his eyes back to mine.

I hesitated before I continued with my questions.

"Can you eat human food?", I asked carefully.

"Yes, but I can't really survive on it", he answered – seeming relieved that the conversation had left the previous subject.

I bit my lip – trying to decide what to ask him. I was afraid to make him upset, but at the same I was extremely curious.

"No more questions?", he asked doubtfully.

"Well, I would like to know about your age", I mumbled.

"I guess you can say that I'm 16 years old", he said after a few seconds. "But I've been that for a little while"

I tried to hide the curiosity from my eyes, but Isaac easily saw through it.

"I've been a _vampire_" – his tone was guarded when he said the word – "for about 40 years"

He watched my expression as he said this, so I controlled my emotions. I was a bit shocked, but it wasn't as bad as I'd feared.

"Do you know any others of your kind?", I asked – changing the subject quickly.

"Only one. My brother, Lucas, is 10 years older than me", he answered in a simple tone.

"Your brother?", I asked – not able to hide the shock.

He laughed at me, probably finding my expression funny.

"Yes, my brother. Is that so strange?", he asked when his laughter had silenced.

"No, I just...you haven't told me that you have a brother", I mumbled awkwardly.

"Well, you haven't asked me about my relatives", he said with a smile on his lips.

I ignored his teasing and got to my next question.

"Was it Lucas who…created you?", I asked hesitantly.

His smile faded a bit, but it was still bright enough to make his face marvelous.

"No, my – and Lucas - _creator _left us a few years ago. He thought we would be like him, so he got disappointed when we never showed any interest in…hunting" His tone was grave, but there was still a trace of a faint smile on his lips.

"Oh", I said, kind of relieved. "So, what did you and Lucas do when you were alone?"

He smiled at me before he continued the story.

"We tried to find a place where we could live, but we never stayed anywhere longer than a few years. It wasn't until we moved here, that we decided to settle down"

"Why did you choose this city?", I asked, trying to understand what could be interesting about my hometown.

"I met you here", he murmured.

A blush appeared on my cheeks, and I looked down – both flattered and embarrassed.

"Didn't you ever meet any…vampires when you were traveling?", I mumbled after a little while – changing the subject again.

I peeked up at him, and saw that he was staring at me with an unreadable expression on his face. He looked at me for a few more seconds before he answered my question.

"No, there aren't many of us", he said in a low voice.

He suddenly glanced at the window, and I followed his gaze. The sky outside was almost dark. It was hard to understand how quickly the time had gone.

"I have to go. It's getting late", he murmured to me and took a step towards the hallway.

"No", I blurted out and grabbed his arm before he had time to take another step. "Please, stay", I added in a lower voice.

He hesitated before he turned around so that he was standing in front of me again.

"Alright", he sighed, but with a smile on his lips. "I'll stay"

I smiled back at him – overwhelmed by the happiness that had exploded inside of me.

The rest of the evening passed faster than usual – probably because I focused more on Isaac than on the time. We didn't really talk about vampires again until later that night, when I was lying in my bed with Isaac beside me.

"How do you create a vampire?", I mumbled, my eyes half-closed.

Since he was lying quite close, I could feel when his body froze. Obviously, he disliked this new topic.

"I'm just curious", I said, trying not to be too prompting.

"You…bite", he whispered.

I waited a little longer, just to see if he was going to tell me more. After a minute or two, I gave up and closed my eyes.

"Jessica, I have to tell you something", he said after a while.

I just nodded – waiting for him to continue. It took him a few minutes to brace himself enough to speak again.

"I saved you", he whispered and stroked my cheek with a cold finger. "When you jumped"

"Why?", I murmured – my eyes still closed.

"I…I couldn't let you die, Jessica" His voice was filled with pain.

"You didn't even know me", I said, shocked

"From the very first moment I saw you…", he stopped the sentence with a sigh. "I've always loved you", he added, his voice as low as a whisper.

My eyelids flew opened. Isaac was hovering over me, his eyes boring into mine.

"You what?", I mumbled.

He didn't answer, instead he leaned closer. I stopped breathing as his lips touched mine for a fragment of a second.

"I've always loved you", he repeated when his lips had left mine. His blue eyes were still boring into mine.

"That doesn't make any sense", I whispered.

"It makes all the sense in the world to me", he murmured and stroked my face again.

I shook my head, which made him sigh and roll over on his back. After a long moment of silence, I closed my eyes and snuggled closer to him. He carefully laid his arms around my shoulders.

"I love you", I whispered before I fell asleep in his cold arms.


	14. Reactions

**Reactions**

_**So, I just realized that I haven't described how Jessica looks. But no worries; I'll reveal it in this chapter ;)**_

_**Anywaay, I was really disappointed when I saw that I only got **__**one**__** review for the last chapter :( I'd hoped that I would find out what you think about my story…Well, like I've said before – I'm happier when I get more reviews (: And when I'm in a good mood, it's easier for me to write and update :) **_

The dim light of the morning sun woke me up in the morning. I opened my eyes slowly, trying to remember everything that had happened yesterday. Many memories were spinning around in my head, but there was a certain word that stayed in the front of my thoughts. _Vampire._

I was so distracted by the thought, that it took me a few seconds to discover the cold arms that were circled around me. A low gasp escaped my lips as I glanced at the beautiful creature that was lying beside me.

Isaac's eyes were closed, which made his face look peaceful. His breathing was heavy, just as if he was sleeping. _Could _vampires even sleep? I shook my head at the thought and carefully got up from the bed. Before I left my bedroom, I glanced over my shoulder to make sure that he hadn't woken up.

The rest of the house felt oddly empty – probably because of the absence of my mother. But it was somehow a relief to be alone. Or, _almost_ alone.

I wandered slowly to the bathroom. I knew I wasn't in any hurry – it was only 6.30 am. My mind was far away until I entered the room and got a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

My brown hair – a tone darker than my mothers – was so messy that it was nearly impossible to see the curls that usually coiled down my back. My dark blue eyes had a strange look – almost as if I was excited, even though I'd just woken up. And even though I knew it was my own reflection, it felt like looking at a stranger. This person just didn't look like me at all.

I sighed and turned away from the mirror, so that I could concentrate on getting ready for school. It didn't take long time, but it still felt like hours had passed when I walked back to my bedroom.

I carefully opened the door, hoping that Isaac wouldn't get disturbed by the way my door squeaked the tiniest bit. But he wasn't lying on the bed anymore. Instead he was standing a few meters away, looking out the window.

"Good morning", I greeted him.

He turned around with a smile on his lips, which made my mind go blank for a few seconds. When I was slightly recovered, I immediately tried to think of a new topic.

"So, I didn't know vampires could sleep", I said after a quite short moment of silence.

I tried to sound causal about it, but I wasn't fully able to say the word 'vampires' without making a face. Isaac pretended not to notice.

"I don't really sleep. It's more like…" He stopped the sentence with a sigh, as if was too hard for him to continue.

"Like what?", I prompted.

"Never mind", he said, smiling again. "Let's get you some breakfast"

I was about to argue – eager to know what secret he was hiding from me – but I decided to let it go. I'd had enough of losing arguments with him.

So instead of arguing, I turned around and walked away from the room I'd just entered. Even though I couldn't hear his footsteps behind me, I was quite sure that he was following me. But I didn't turn around to check if he really _was _there – it was my way of punishing him, since he was keeping something from me.

When I entered the kitchen, I stopped in front of the fridge – trying to decide what I could possibly have for breakfast. A white hand suddenly striked past me, probably to open the refrigerator, and I couldn't help but to freeze and hold my breath. When my mind had grasped that it was just Isaac – acting polite – I relaxed immediately and turned around, hoping that he hadn't noticed my reaction. But even though he hid it quite well, I could see the emotion in his eyes.

I pretend not to notice, since I didn't want to make him feel worse. Instead of looking more at his face, I turned around again and started poking around in the fridge. I hoped to find something that looked eatable enough, but there were mostly ingredients to things like pancakes – something I had no idea how to make.

"Are you finding anything?", Isaac asked from behind me. He tried to sound casual, but I could still hear the regret that I'd seen in his eyes.

"Nope", I sighed and was just going to close the door to the fridge, when he stopped me.

"May I take a look?", he asked, and this time his voice was almost back to normal.

"Sure", I said with a shrug and backed away to give him more space.

He peeked inside for a few seconds, before a smile spread across his face.

"You couldn't find _anything_?", he asked while he turned to me with a teasing look in his eyes.

The first emotion I felt was relief - obviously, his mood was back to normal. But I could also feel how the irritation started spread inside of me. I didn't like when he teased me.

"No", I said in a short tone, holding back the quite angry words I wanted to throw at him.

"How about this?", he asked and took out a package with eggs.

"You want me to eat raw food?", I asked suspiciously.

He stared at me with an unreadable expression for a little while, before he recovered and got back the teasing look.

"When you're 16 years old, you should know the basics – like frying eggs", he said in a tone that matched his expression.

I bit my lip, mostly to hold back the things that I wanted to say. But I also knew that he was right. I mean, even _he _knew how to cook, and he wasn't even human.

"Just bring me a frying pan, and I'll do it", he said with a smile that wasn't as teasing as before.

"No, I can do it myself", I protested and held out my hand, so that he could give me the eggs.

"Seriously, Jessica, I can…", he started, sounding more sincere now.

"Just hand me the eggs", I interrupted.

His expression became amusing when he heard my tone - something that only made me more irritated. But before I could say anything, he gave me the package.

"Thank you", I said in an icy tone.

He made a choking sound, as if he was holding back a laughter – which probably was the case. But instead of getting more irritated with him, I turned away from him and started preparing the oven. At least I knew how to do _that._

While I fried my eggs – hoping that I wouldn't fail – I found it very hard to ignore the eyes that bored into my neck. I wanted to look at him, to be able to figure out why he was staring at me, but I feared that if I met his gaze, I wouldn't be able to concentrate on making my breakfast.

After a few minutes, I'd successfully fried the eggs and put them on a plate. I knew I shouldn't feel proud over myself – for God's sake, it shouldn't be so hard to fry eggs – but I couldn't help it.

Just as I was about to turn around and sit at the table, Isaac's cold arms circled around me.

"Congratulations", he said, still teasing me.

My heart started beating faster as soon as he had touched me, and I was absolutely sure that he could hear it.

"You don't have to be so mean", I replied, sounding more breathless than angry.

He chuckled at me before he answered.

"Well, you know I'm just joking, so it doesn't really count as being mean"

I sighed and turned around – which was quite hard, since he was still embracing me. Isaac's expression was thoughtful, which – to be honest – made me a bit suspicious. I mean, a few seconds ago he'd been teasing me.

After a moment of silence, he leaned forward with a new expression on his face, which made me hold my breath.

Suddenly, the plate I'd been holding in my hand fell to the ground with a loud crash – just before Isaac's lips touched mine. It didn't really bother me, but Isaac got distracted. He leaned away from me and looked down at the floor where the broken plate was splintered.

A new sigh escaped my lips as he let go of me and bent down to start gathering pieces of the plate. I guess I should have helped him, but I was afraid that I'd make everything worse by cutting my finger or something like that. So I just watched while he cleaned up the mess I'd just created.

When he was done, he raised again to stand in front of me with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Don't you think it's a bit silly to cook food, and then just throw it away?", he asked.

"Yeah, I _so _did that on purpose", I said in a sarcastic tone. "By the way, it was your fault", I added.

"Since when is it _my _fault that you drop things?", he asked in a voice that sounded amused.

"You were the one who distracted me", I said in an accusing tone.

He chuckled for a few seconds, before his expression became serious. Once again, he laid his arms carefully around me and leaned closer. Just when his lips touched mine, the ringing of a phone echoed through the room. I clutched his shoulders desperately, trying to make the kiss last longer.

But of course he was stronger; he easily pulled me away.

"Aren't you going to answer?", he asked in a tone that sounded both amused and surprised.

I sighed and went over to where the phone was lying.

"Hello?", I answered in an irritated tone – whoever it was that was calling had just interrupted me and Isaac.

"Jess, it's me" My mother's voice was easy to recognize.

"Oh, hi", I said, trying to make my voice normal again.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm on my way home. I'll be there in a few minutes"

"W-what?", I asked in a shocked tone. "Weren't you supposed to come home tomorrow?"

There was a moment of silence before she answered.

"Well, they gave me some good news, and…Oh, I'll tell you when I get home, okay?"

"Sure", I mumbled, not really grasping what she was saying.

All I could think about was that she would be home in just a few minutes. My eyes darted over to where Isaac stood, looking curiously at me. If he was still there when my mum came home, then… I couldn't even finish the thought.

I was so freaked out, that I didn't even notice when my mother said 'Goodbye' and hung up. Instead I continued to stare at Isaac, with the phone pressed against my ear. Because there was only one thing I could think:

_I'm doomed. _


	15. Promotion

**Promotion**

_**Reviews? :/**_

Isaac saw my panicked look, and immediately rushed over to where I stood. He took the phone from my hand and placed it at the table.

"What's wrong?", he asked in a concerned tone.

I shook my head, trying to make my brain work normally again.

"You have to go", I blurted out as soon as I'd recovered myself.

"What?", he asked, more confused than concerned now.

"My mum is coming home", I explained. "And she can't find you here, so…"

Isaac disappeared before I could finish the sentence. I knew he hadn't left me, not without saying goodbye, but I hurried out to the hallway where he now stood – probably waiting for me.

"Do you want me to come back in a few minutes and pick you up for school?", he asked while he put his hand on the doorknob.

I nodded, not sure what else there was I could say. I didn't want him to leave, but if my mum found out that he was there, she'd probably give me a curfew for the rest of my life. So I just watched Isaac open the front door – after smiling quickly at me – and leave.

Even though he closed the door after him, I could still hear how his car roared to life and sped away from my house.

I was filled with relief when I realized that I'd made it. My mum wouldn't find out that Isaac had been here - and I definitely wouldn't get grounded.

But when I could hear a new car stop in front of the house, the relief was replaced by nervousness. It wasn't until now that I remembered what she'd said.

"_Well, they gave me some good news__, and…Oh, I'll tell you when I get home, okay?"_

I had no idea what she meant with 'good news'. That they would finally give her a pay rise? But if that was the case, why had they sent her home?

My thoughts were interrupted when my mum opened the door and entered the house. Her face was so excited that my anxiety disappeared for a few seconds.

"Hi, mum", I mumbled, hoping that she wouldn't find it a bit weird that I was standing in the hallway.

"I have the greatest news", she started, while she grabbed my left arm and dragged me along to the living room.

I sat down on the couch with a sceptic look in my eyes.

"My boss has decided to give me a…", she stopped the sentence when she had to take a deep breath to calm herself down. "A promotion"

"That's great", I mumbled, trying to remember how to sound enthusiastic.

"I know", she said and started off with the details.

It wasn't until she started mentioning things like 'packing' and 'Los Angeles', that I really reacted.

"Wait", I stopped her in a horrified tone. "Did you say Los Angeles?"

"Yeah, that's the thing. Since the job is in Los Angeles, they offered me a good house there. I think you'll love it – no one will know about the past here and…"

I gulped loudly. Los Angeles.

"Mum", I interrupted her. "I'm not moving"

"What?", she asked, shocked by my protest.

"I'm not moving", I repeated slowly.

"Jess, don't be silly. I know you don't like moving, but I think we should get a new start. And, you've been complaining…"

"I'm not going anywhere", I said in a fierce tone, once again interrupting her.

"You're only 16, honey", my mum said softly. "You know it's not your choice if you want to move or not"

I sighed before I answered. Her sweet tone only made me more irritated.

"I know, but I just don't want to move", I explained as calmly as I could.

She stared at me for a minute, reading my expression.

"It's because of that guy…Isaac, right?", she asked, sounding a bit more angry now.

"No", I lied.

I had obviously answered to quickly, because my mum narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips – something she usually did when she saw through my lies.

"Jessica, you know how I feel about this. When your last boyfriend broke up, you tried to…to _kill _yourself. If someone did that to you again, then…"

I winced a little at the memory, before the anger started spreading inside of me. Usually, we tried to avoid that subject, and it wasn't nice of her to bring it up now.

"You think I'd do it again, don't you?", I half-screamed at her, interrupting her sentence.

She didn't answer, so I stood up and started off towards the front door. I was so outraged, that I even threw my crutches at the floor before I left the house – which actually was the absolutely stupidest thing I could've done. Because when I'd closed the door behind me, I realized that it would be nearly impossible to get anywhere.

I glanced up and saw the black car that was parked a few meters away. Before I could start limping towards it, Isaac opened the car door and hurried out to my side.

"Where are your crutches?", he asked with a concerned look in his eyes.

"I left them at home", I answered shortly and started to hobble toward his car.

He sighed and shook his head. Then – before I could even suspect it – he quickly picked me up bridal style and walked the rest of the way with me in his arms.

"Whoa", I said – startled. "Put me back down"

"Jessica, you have a broken leg. You shouldn't walk without your crutches", he said in a voice that reminded me of a parent.

Instead of protesting, I let him carry me. First of all, it wasn't even worth struggling – he was way much stronger than me. And second of all, it actually _did _hurt to walk when you had broken your leg.

He let go of me when we reached the car, and I awkwardly climbed onto the passenger seat. When both of us were sitting in the car, I expected him to start the car immediately – like he usually did. But instead of driving away from the house, he looked at me with a strange expression on his face.

"What?", I asked – feeling as self-conscious as I always did when he stared at me like that.

"You can't go to school without your crutches", he said slowly, as if he was talking to a four-year-old.

"I know, but I'm _not_ going back to fetch them", I said stubbornly. I was definitely not going to talk to my mother until after school.

"Then I'll just have to carry you the whole day", he threatened.

"Fine", I bluffed.

He sighed and started the car. I wasn't sure if he had really meant what he had said about carrying me.

But my worries were worthless when he drove past the school, and onto the highway.

"Where are we going?", I asked after a little while.

"Since you can't go to school, I thought you wouldn't mind doing something else", he said, and smiled at me.

"Like what?", I asked in a voice that wasn't _too _curious.

"You'll see", was the only answer I got.

I sighed and looked out the window. Like before, I hated when he kept things from me.

After a few minutes, he turned off the highway and starting driving along a smaller road. At some moments, I thought about asking him where he was taking me, but I doubted that he would answer me. So I kept my mouth shut.

It wasn't until he stopped in front of a big house that I spoke again.

"Where are we?", I asked carefully.

He ignored me again and got out from the car. Before I could do the same, he opened my car door and picked me up in his arms again – not caring about my protests.

When we stopped in front of the door, he finally answered my question.

"This is where I live"


	16. Lucas

**Lucas**

At first, Isaac's house looked quite frightening. There was a certain, mysterious ambience that the dark walls radiated – something that made me a bit scared at first. But once I'd gotten a closer look, the fear disappeared as immediately as it had appeared.

What was amazing with the house, except for that it was so huge, was that the inside was the exact opposite of the outside. The walls were brighter, and all of the furniture were in light and cheerful colours. It was as if I'd entered another house.

Something that also stunned me was that every room had its own kind of beauty. It could be a small thing as a wonderful painting, or just the colour of the walls that made the room unique, but it was always a little detail that made it extraordinary beautiful – just like the person who lived there. Or, maybe it was better to say _persons_; of course I hadn't forgotten about Isaac's brother, who hadn't showed up yet.

Just as I thought that, Isaac turned his head towards the stairs with an expectant look on his face. At the moment, we were standing in one of the many living rooms.

Even though I couldn't understand Isaac's reaction, I followed his gaze just in time to see a man walk gracefully down the last steps of the staircase. Looking at his features, it was obvious that he was Isaac's brother - Lucas.

To say that he was beautiful would be an understatement. His hair – which had the same dark brown colour as Isaac's – reached all the way to the shoulders, but was now gathered in a proper ponytail. The eyes had a strange, icy green colour that I was a bit surprised to see. I'd thought he would have blue eyes, just like his younger brother. But there was also something else about him; something I couldn't really understand.

Just as Lucas walked over to us, I realized that I was still cradled up in Isaac's arms. But I didn't have to mention it – Isaac had obviously thought the same thing, because he put me down on the floor in a swift move. I was about to thank him, but I got interrupted by Lucas – who know stood in front of us.

"No school today?", he asked in a calm, but husky voice. Even though the question was directed to Isaac, I could see how he gazed quickly at me.

"No, I thought you'd like to meet someone", Isaac answered while he laid an arm around my shoulders – a gesture that led Lucas attention to me. "This is Jessica"

Lucas stared at me with an unreadable expression on his face. After a few seconds, he spoke again.

"It's very nice to meet you, Jessica", he said with a polite smile on his lips, while he held out his hand to me. Even though he smiled at me, his eyes were wary.

I carefully grabbed the hand – hiding the shock I felt inside when I touched his icy skin. It was even colder than Isaacs.

"It's nice to meet you, too", I mumbled.

Lucas stared at me for a little longer, before he finally let go of my hand and turned to Isaac – who stared intently back at him. I couldn't understand his expression at all; he almost looked angry.

"Can I have a word with you?", Isaac asked stiffly.

"Of course", Lucas answered – looking as surprised as I felt inside.

"I'll be back soon", Isaac murmured to me, before he started off towards another, smaller room.

Lucas gave me a last glance before he followed after his brother. I stared after them until they closed the door.

The room felt oddly empty now that I was alone. So after a few minutes of just standing there, I limped quietly towards the room where they were talking.

I stopped outside the door, holding my breath as I listened to their quiet discussion. At first it was hard to pick out the words, but after a little while I managed to hear more.

"You are _not_ going to hurt her, you hear that?", Isaac said in a tone I'd never heard before. It sounded…threatening.

"I haven't done anything", Lucas defeated himself.

"Not yet", Isaac growled at him.

Just then, the door opened and Lucas marched out of the room. He didn't look at me, even though it was quite obvious that I'd been listening to their conversation – he just strode past me, and up the stairs.

Only two seconds later, Isaac came out, too. It was easy to see the surprise on his face when he saw me standing there. But that surprise quickly changed to annoyance, as he realized that I'd heard what he'd said to Lucas.

"What was that about?", I asked, not bothering to even _try_ to play innocent.

"Nothing", he answered a bit too quickly.

I crossed my arms and frowned at him. After a few seconds of me glaring stubbornly at him, he finally gave up.

"I guess I haven't told you the whole truth", he admitted.

I raised my eyebrows at him, waiting for him to continue with his confession.

"You know how I told you that we don't…hunt", he said in a grave tone.

"That wasn't true?", I asked, not able to hide the shock I once again felt inside.

He smiled a little at me, before he started leading me towards a couch that was standing in the room. I sat down, still with a shocked expression on my face. When he was also seated, he spoke again.

"Of course it was true – I would never lie to you about a thing like that", he answered, still with a light smile on his lips. But when he continued with his story, that smile disappeared. "I also told you a little about our creator. He _did_ leave us, but not for the reason I told you"

"Then…"

He silenced me by putting a finger at my lips.

"It was true that I never showed any interest in hunting, while Lucas, on the other hand, was more like our creator. But when he saw that I disliked their lifestyle, he stopped so that he could be able to support me instead. Our creator didn't like it, so eventually he left us", Isaac said, still holding his finger pressed against my lips.

"Why…", I tried to say, but he started talking again.

"Lucas still has some problems with it, though. It's hard for him to control himself when he gets too close to a human"

"You really think he will hurt _me_?", I mumbled against his finger.

"I…I saw it in his eyes when he touched your hand", he said in a low growl, while he removed his finger from my face.

I wasn't sure what to say, so I kept my mouth shut while I stared into Isaac's eyes. He stared back at me with an agonized expression on his face. After a little while, he recovered himself and smiled at me.

"Do you want to see the rest of the house?", he asked, working to keep a light tone.

"Sure", I murmured.

He got up in a graceful move, and bent down to pick me up again – once again ignoring my protests.

While he walked up the stairs to the third story, an uneasy feeling started spreading inside of me. I knew Lucas was up there, and even though he hadn't done anything to harm me – I couldn't help but to feel a bit scared of him. Especially after what Isaac had told me about him.

When we stopped at the top of the stairs, Isaac started pointing out the rooms. I noticed his hesitation before he said:

"Lucas room"

I tried to keep my eyes away from that room, since I didn't want to feel more scared. But just before Isaac opened the door to his own room, I glanced quickly at the closed door to the room where his mysterious brother lived – feeling a small shiver of fear tremble down my back, while Isaac's words echoed through my head:

_You are not going to hurt her._

_**I wasn't really satisfied with this chapter, but it was sort of necessary for you to know a little about Lucas. **_

_**Anyways, please review more (:**_


	17. Protective

**Protective**

The rest of the day passed almost _unwillingly _slowly - it felt like the time went by in slow motion. Maybe it was because I waited for Isaac to relax from his tense pose, to take his eyes away from the door to his room – which he never did.

As the hours flew by, I started to get more and more restless. We'd been sitting in his room since he had told me the truth about his brother. Most of the time I'd watched Isaac's still profile, but sometimes my eyes had flickered to the huge window that was placed on the south wall of his room. A small part of my mind was shocked that his body didn't react strongly to the sun that shone into the room – his skin only seemed to glower slightly, making him even more beautiful.

It wasn't until the sky outside started getting darker, that Isaac moved again.

"I should get you home now", he said in a surprisingly calm tone.

"Why?", I asked, my voice a bit raspy after being quiet for so long.

He sighed and looked at me with cold eyes. His lips were pressed tightly together, but not in a way that made me think he was trying not to laugh – the expression on his face made it clear that he was in no mood for laughing.

"I don't want to go home", I muttered, glancing down instead of looking at his face.

"You can't stay here", he said in a firm tone.

I didn't look up from my hands, so I was shocked when one of his fingers suddenly pulled my chin up, forcing me to look into his eyes.

"Jessica, you have to go home", he murmured, his tone softer now.

"He won't hurt me, Isaac", I said – trying to sound confident.

Before he could open his mouth, I started talking again. I already knew his answer – it was easy to see it on his face.

"He's your brother. Why would he do such a thing to you? And I mean, he hasn't done anything to harm me" My attempts to convince him were pathetic – it sounded more like I was trying to convince _myself._

Isaac took a deep breath before he spoke again. Obviously, my words had only made him more upset.

"You have no idea how he is", he growled at me.

He'd never used that tone when he spoke to me, so I couldn't help but to cringe away from him. Isaac noticed immediately, and I could see the apologizing look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry", he said in a sincere tone.

"It's okay", I mumbled, slowly relaxing from my stiff pose.

After a few seconds of looking into my eyes, he seemed to remember our argument, because his face changed expression again.

"Jessica, you really have to go home", he said slowly, making the words sound like sentences instead.

I shook my head, afraid that my voice wasn't as determined as I wanted it to be. He stared at me for a long time before saying anything. It was obvious that he was trying to control his anger.

"Your mother will be worried if you don't come home", he finally said.

"Don't change the subject", I said in a simple tone, smoothly trying to skip talking about my mum.

"I'm not changing the subject", he replied in a tone that echoed mine. "Besides, you know that your mother will be unhappy if you don't show up"

I turned my head away from him – trying to escape his gaze – but he cupped my chin in his hand, pulling my face around so that I had to look at him.

"Can you please listen to me?", he murmured.

I was about to nod, but his hand made it hard for me to move. But even though I didn't answer, he continued talking.

"If you're in this house, I can't make sure that Lucas doesn't get near you. And I don't think he can control himself if he gets so close to you again"

A small shiver trembled down my back as I took in his words. It was easy imagining what could happen, even though I tried to hold back those frightening thoughts.

Isaac noticed my reaction at once. He moved his hand from my chin to my cheek, trying to soothe me.

"Do you understand why you can't stay?", he asked.

I shook my head stubbornly. He managed to keep his hand on my cheek, even though I didn't hold still.

"Jessica, stop…"

"I won't go home", I interrupted him. "And I _am_ safe here. Nothing has happened today, right?"

"Nothing has happened _yet_"

"Why would anything happen while you're with me?", I asked, changing the direction of our argument.

My question seemed to surprise him, because his face got blank for a few seconds. I took the opportunity to continue talking.

"And why do you think he's so eager to hurt me? He is your _brother_"

"He…I…"

I was surprised to see him struggling so hard for words – I'd thought I was the only one of us who had problems with forming a sentence.

"I guess I'm overreacting", he said after a short silence.

Before I could stop myself, a shocked laughter escaped my lips. Isaac raised his eyebrows at me - probably questioning my sanity – but instead of explaining my strange reaction, I just shook my head at him. After all, it had been childish of me to laugh just because I'd actually won the argument.

"Does this mean that I don't have to go home?", I asked after a little while.

He stared at me with an unreadable expression on his face before he finally answered.

"Why do you want to stay here? I got the impression that it was _you_ who were angry at _her_ – not the other way around"

I bit my lip, remembering my confrontation with my mother earlier today. Just then, I realized that I hadn't told Isaac about the news I'd gotten. I'd been so absorbed by the many emotions I'd felt today, that I'd totally forgotten what my mum had told me.

"What's wrong?", Isaac asked, scrutinizing my face. He had easily seen how my expression had changed.

"Nothing", I answered too quickly.

The hand on my cheek tightened a bit, probably because he was starting to get irritated.

"You don't want to know", I mumbled. It shocked me that it was the same words he had used before.

"Jessica, tell me", he said, sounding frustrated.

I had to take a deep breath before I could say the words that bothered me.

"My mum got a promotion, which means that…we have to move", I whispered, not able to gain more volume to my voice.

The sadness was easy to hear in my quiet tone, and even though Isaac hid it quite well – I could see the same emotion in his eyes.

We didn't say anything for such a long time that I eventually got up from the couch where we were seated, and walked slowly to the huge bed that took up a great part of the room. I lay down on my stomach, burying my head in a pillow, trying to hold back the tears which were building behind my eyelids.

I couldn't hear when Isaac also got up and walked over to the bed, but suddenly I felt how he sat down beside me.

"Why didn't you tell me before?", he asked.

I didn't know how to answer him, so I remained silent. He didn't say anything else, and after a few minutes, the tense silence between us became too much for me. I lifted my head and glanced at his face.

His eyes were locked on something above my head. Even though I could see how he tried to control his emotions, the agony was still clear on his face.

"Where are you moving?", he suddenly asked.

"I'm not going to move with her", I answered, trying to keep my tone confident.

"What?", he asked – truly shocked.

"I'm not moving with her", I repeated slowly.

He rolled his eyes before he spoke again.

"Why not?" His tone was more annoyed now.

"Because I want to stay here with you", I mumbled.

His eyes closed at the same time as he sighed. I hadn't expected that reaction, so I wasn't sure what to say or what to do. After a little while, Isaac reopened his eyes to look at me with a tired expression on his face.

"You know that won't work, Jessica", he said in a tone that matched his expression exactly. "It's not safe for you to be with me, or even to be _near _my brother"  
"None of you will hurt me", I said stubbornly.

"How can you be so sure about Lucas?"

"I know you won't let him do anything to harm me", I said, for once managing to sound confident.

Isaac sighed and got up from the bed. Before I could ask him where he was going, he walked over to the other side and laid down there – still looking at me. I curled closer to his side, feeling more comfortable than ever.

"I won't leave you", I mumbled after a moment of silence.

He didn't answer – instead he laid one of his arms around my shoulders, hugging me closer. Just a few seconds later, I drifted off towards sleep – feeling entirely safe in his arms.

_**Yeah, I knooow it took some time for me to write this chapter, but I've been working a bit on my other story (which I will post here on as soon as I'm done with "Save me" :)**_

_**Anyways, my inspiration fades sometimes so please R-E-V-I-E-W more ;D**_


	18. Memories

**Memories**

_A delicious scent sought its way to my room, where I and my dad were seated. He was reading my favourite book for me, even though we were only supposed to do that before bedtime. _

_Just a few seconds later, my mum's voice rose from the kitchen._

"_Dinner's ready"_

_Both me and my dad got up from my bed and bolted down the stairs, competing about who would get there first. Of course I knew that I would win – my dad always slowed down in the end, giving me the glory of winning. _

"_You beat me today, kiddo", he laughed when we took our seats at the dining table. One of his rough, large hands ruffled my hair playfully._

_I smiled at him, showing my dimples. He had a way of always making people in his presence happy – almost as if he wore an invisible aura of happiness. _

_My mum watched us with__ an amused look, an emotion I was used to seeing in her dark blue eyes. I'd never seen her unhappy, and I guessed it was due to my dad's inescapable cheerfulness. _

"_I thought I heard someone tell stories upstairs…", she began, not managing to sound strict._

_My dad laughed before he answered._

"_I couldn't say__ no to my little Jessie" He tousled my dark brown hair again, making it even messier. It was only my dad who was allowed to call me Jessie._

"_No, she's irresistible", my mother agreed, looking at me with delighted eyes. _

_My gaze flickered between my two parents, feeling as __content as a 6-year-old could feel…_

The picture of me with my family swirled, fading away into the distance. After only a second, a new scene formed behind my eyelids, showing a new memory…

_My head bent over the books I'd placed on the dining t__able, while my forehead creased. _

"_You look so old when you do that", my dad said in a light, teasing tone. He nudged me with his elbow, causing me to smile. _

"_Maybe if you tried solving this, you'd understood my expression", I replied._

"_Oh no, I've had enough of Maths" He could easily see through my attempt to ask him for help. _

_I sighed and closed the book. There was no way I would be able to finish it until dinner was ready. _

_As if she could read my mind, my mum announced that the food would be served in just a few minutes. I took my books back to my room, not really in a hurry._

_When I re-entered the kitchen, the atmosphere seemed different. My dad's usual, happy spirit was strangely missing – so __I glanced around the room, making sure he was there._

_Finally, my gaze found him, sitting on one of the four kitchen chairs with a tired look in his eyes. I'd never seen that exhausted expression on his face._

"_Are you alright?", I asked, keeping the anxiety from my voice. _

"_I'm just tired, Jessie, that's all", he said in a tone which matched his expression precisely._

_I didn't answer, I just sat down at the chair beside him. Obviously, there was nothing wrong with him – he was just tired. That was at least what I was trying to convince myself of. _

_My mum handed us each a plate filled with food. The scent of it distracted me so much that I didn't notice my dad's reaction until he suddenly fell of the chair and landed on the floor with a loud thump._

"_Dad?", I half-screamed, __immediately getting up from my chair._

_He had one of his hands pressed tightly on his chest, while his face shifted from red to blue, and back again. _

"_Jeff?" My mum's tone echoed mine. But instead of just watching him – like I did – she bent down to the floor beside him. "Jeffrey?"_

"_Mum, what's happening?", I asked, trying to stop the shivers of fear that trembled down my spine. _

_She looked up at me with a horrified expression on her face._

"_Call 911", she choked out._

I gasped out loud, shocked by the sudden grief that had exploded in my chest. The pain brought me back to reality.

"Jessica?", a familiar voice murmured. Someone shook my shoulder lightly.

I peeked at Isaac through my eyelashes. Even though we were surrounded by darkness, it was easy to see his beautiful features. Relief washed over me as his eyes bored into mine.

"A nightmare?", he guessed.

"Sort of", I mumbled, not sure how else to explain it.

Suddenly, one of his hands came up at my cheek, catching something wet there. It wasn't until now that I realized that tears were running silently down my cheeks.

"Why are you crying?", Isaac asked, his voice thick of concern. "It was just a dream"

I shook my head, confusing him.

"Wh—"

"I was just remembering a few things", I whispered, interrupting whatever he was going to say.

In a swift move, he laid his arms around me again, trying to comfort me. At the exact moment as his skin touched mine, every part of my body – except for my heart, which raced as quickly as it always did when Isaac was near me - calmed down.

He didn't say anything else - he just embraced me while both of us could clearly hear my frantic heartbeat. I was kind of prepared for him to chuckle at my reaction, but he remained silent.

"I'm okay now", I mumbled to him.

He didn't let go of me, instead his grip around me tightened a bit. It took me a few seconds to remember the other things that had happened this day – things that had obviously made him upset.

"Are _you_ okay?", I asked, watching his face carefully.

His eyes were unreadable, but the set of his jaw made it clear that he was either angry or hurt.

"Of course", he murmured.

"Don't lie to me, I can see that something is bothering you"

"It's nothing", he sighed. "You should get more rest now, it's been a…emotional day for you"

I knew he was right, but I cringed at the idea of closing my eyes. The picture of my mum's horror-struck expression showed up behind my eyelids everytime I blinked.

"I don't want to sleep", I grumbled.

"Then what do you want to do?, he asked, sighing again.

I let my gaze wonder around in his room, until finally staying at the huge window. The sky outside was pitch black, but the moon managed to light up the dark night a bit.

"Can we go outside for a while?", I asked, starting to doubt that he would like the idea.

But strangely, he didn't seem to bother.

"Sure", he answered with a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

He got up from the bed and walked over to my side, scooping me up in his arms before I could react. He walked over to the window, opening it quickly and easily, even though he was carrying me.

"What are you doing?", I asked in a suspicious tone when he gracefully got up on the windowsill, still with me cradled up in his arms.

"I thought you wanted to go outside"

"Well, I meant using the door to get there – not jumping from the third story", I answered, my tone getting higher.

I peeked down, feeling dizzy as I saw how high up we were.

'_Don't look down, don't look down'_, I chanted to myself in my thoughts.

It wasn't just the dizziness that worried me – this reminded me so much of something….

"Just relax and you'll be fine" Isaac's voice interrupted my thoughts before they could turn hysterical.

He lifted his foot and took a step forward.

My breath got caught when we fell through the air, and I instinctively closed my eyes. I couldn't feel anything when his feet touched the ground, but the air around us stopped swirling.

"Don't ever do that again", I said breathlessly, while I opened my eyes slowly.

He chuckled and looked down at me with amused eyes. I glanced away from his face, taking in my surroundings.

The grass, which covered the ground, swayed slightly by the cool night breeze. There wasn't anything on the lawn except for a bench – which was coloured in a dark colour. Strangely, the emptiness was beautiful.

Isaac walked over to the bench and sat down there with me in his lap. When I turned around to look at him, the wind swept over my face – making a few strands of my hair waver.

He watched my flickering hair for a second, before he caught one of the strands with his long fingers – playing absentmindedly with it.

"I'd like to know something", I said in a conversational tone.

"What?", he murmured.

"What's bothering you?", I asked.

I saw his hesitation before he answered – he hadn't expected this question.

"The thought of you…leaving", he said in a whisper.

"I thought I made it clear that I _won't_ move", I muttered.

"You can't stay here. Lucas can't be around humans"¨

"Then…"

"Then what?" His tone got suspicious when he saw how my expression changed from annoyed to hopeful.

I looked away from his face before I spoke again.

"Then change me"

_**Yeah, so now that I've updated quicker, you all know what to do: Review :D**_


	19. Decision

**Resistance**

I could almost hear Isaac's mouth plop open as he grasped what I was saying.

"You want me to change you into a _vampire_?" He growled out the last word.

"Yes", I mumbled and turned around so that I could look into his eyes again.

"That's…that's insane"

"I know, but…"

He interrupted me before I could say more.

"If you knew it was insane, then why did you suggest it?"

"Well, because…"

I was silenced again, but this time he didn't speak, he just simply placed a finger at my lips.

"Could you just let me explain?", I muttered, but his finger made my words sound muffled. Somehow he still managed to hear what I said.

He took away his finger from my mouth, but his furious expression didn't change.

"I know it's a crazy idea," – he was about to say something in agreement, but I stopped him by raising my hand – "but it's the only option"

"No, it's not", he protested, for the first time sounding…stubborn.

He got up in a swift move – causing me to slide down from his lap and land on the wooden bench with a low thump – and started pacing across the lawn. I watched his fast movements, not sure what to say.

After only a minute, he walked over to where I sat and bent down so that his face was just a few inches away from mine. His voice was almost back to normal when he spoke again, but there was still a strained edge to his tone.

"Are you sure you want this, though? You won't be able to see your mother anymore – not after your appearance has changed so much. And…"

"Stop it", I interrupted him. "I know what I want. And if it means that I won't be able to see my mum, then…that will be okay"

"Jessica", he sighed. "I don't want you to make those sacrifices"

"It doesn't matter, as long as I get to stay with you", I mumbled so low that it was barely possible to hear it.

He stroked my face carefully – obviously his sharp senses hadn't missed my low words – before he spoke, his tone softer now.

"You should think about it, though"

"But I already…"

"Just think about it", he said, once again interrupting me.

I sighed, but decided to do as he said – mostly to please him, but also because I actually _hadn't_ thought it through.

I knew for sure that there were only two alternatives; either to follow my mother and leave the person I loved behind, or to trade my warm, human body for a blood-drinking, immortal one so that I could stay. But what was I really ready to give up?

I couldn't even bear _thinking_ of moving away from Isaac, but at the same time – could I let my mother go all alone, loosing me as she had lost my father?

I stared into Isaac's piercing blue eyes, and for once he didn't try to hide the emotions. There was a strange mixture of pain, hope and…love as he looked at me, waiting for me to speak again.

While I met his gaze, the answer came up right in front of me – so obvious that I shouldn't have needed to think it through.

"I know what I want", I repeated, my voice strong with confidence.

He smiled at me before his eyes suddenly turned serious again.

"This isn't really your decision, though", he murmured.

"Then whose is it?", I asked, confused by the sudden change.

"I don't think your mother will be very…eager to let go of you"

I hadn't even thought of that. But now, as I realized the new problem, I knew that she would be very resistant. After all, I was the only one she had left.

"I'm sure it'll be fine", I tried to lie, but before I could finish my sentence, I yawned – feeling utterly exhausted.

"A bit tired?", he asked, a smile in his voice

"No, no, it's okay", I mumbled.

He rolled his eyes at me.

"I told you before that you should rest", he murmured, but it sounded more like he was talking to himself.

Before I could fall asleep, Isaac lifted me from the bench and cradled me up in his arms. For once, I didn't even _want_ to protest – I was way too tired to be anything but relieved to feel his body so close to mine.

"I have to talk to my mum", I mumbled, forcing my eyes to stay open.

His body shook slightly, and I guessed it was because he was laughing – even though the sound of it was too low for my ears to hear it.

"It's in the middle of the night, Jessica. I think you should get some sleep first"

"Oh"

He laughed again, but this time I couldn't feel his body shake – I was already drifting of towards sleep.

The last thing I felt before I fell asleep was the rush of air as Isaac somehow managed to get up to his bedroom on the third story again.

_**I'm trying to **__**reach the point of 50 reviews, but I need **__**your**__** help to get there, so c'mon… ;) **_

_**Whoa, this chapter was SO not as good as I wanted it to b**__**e and REALLY short :/ I promise that the next chapter will be muuuch longer ;))**_

_**I'm not quite**__** sure yet, but I'm thinking about uploading the other story, too, even though I'm still working on "Save me".**_

_**What do you guys think? Should I wait until this story is finished before I upload the other one?**_


	20. Anger

**Anger**

"Mum", I called. The casual tone I'd tried to use was ruined by the nervousity that edged to my voice.

The night at Isaac's house had passed quickly. Much too quickly. I'd still not come up with anything to say to my mother, but it wasn't worth postponing this moment.

"Mum", I tried again, carefully waiting for her response.

At the moment I was standing in the doorway to our house with Isaac at my side. I'd tried to convince him to stay in the car - my mum would definitely get angrier if she saw him beside me – but he'd insisted on coming with me.

Just then, the sound of my mother's approach was heard. Footsteps rushed down the stairs, followed by my mum's angry voice.

"Jessica, where have you been? I do never, ever want you to just run away like that. Do you have _any_ clue how worried…"

Her yelling stopped when she saw Isaac at my side – looking stunningly beautiful. But it wasn't his beauty that had caught her eye; her expression only got even more outraged as she understood who he was.

She quickly marched over to where we stood, her mouth already open and ready to shout more.

"And who do you think you are? You think you can just go away with my daughter for the night? I don't ever want to _see_ you with her…"

"Stop it", I half-screamed in a high-pitched voice.

Her eyes narrowed when I interrupted her, but she closed her mouth and turned to me again. I looked at her for a few seconds – while she glared back – before I spoke.

"I'm sorry, mum. I know I shouldn't have reacted like that yesterday and gone away", I murmured.

Her anger faded as she heard my regretful mumble.

"Jess", she sighed. The fierce tone she'd used before was all but gone.

Her gaze flickered between me and Isaac, before she sighed again.

"I guess I should apologize, too", she muttered.

"For what?"

"For yelling at your…friend"

Beside me, Isaac pressed his lips tightly together – as if he was trying to hold back a smile. I couldn't understand his reaction.

My mum cleared her throat a few times before she said anything else.

"We'll talk about this later, Jess"

I stopped a sigh before it could escape my lips. The conversation I had waiting for me would definitely not be short.

My mum turned her gaze to Isaac, scrutinizing his face with a critical look. Even though she tried to look angry, I could see that she was shocked by his marvellous complexion.

"Would you like to come in for a while?", she asked. Her voice was a bit too steely to sound welcoming.

I gaped in shock, forgetting how to close my mouth again. Just a few seconds ago, she'd been screaming at him.

"I don't want to bother you", he answered with a warm, polite smile on his lips.

"You're not bothering anyone", I said quickly before my mum could have any chance to answer. "Right?", I added, giving my mum meaningful glances.

"Right", she agreed, her voice still not gentle.

She whirled around and walked away from us without another word. It was obvious that her kindness wouldn't last for very much longer, and she probably didn't want to take out her anger on me. Not yet.

I made a gesture for Isaac to come in, while I closed the door behind us. When I turned around, he was watching me with amused eyes.

"What?", I asked in a low voice, not sure if my mum would be able to hear us.

"I assume that you haven't told your mother much about me", he murmured, a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth.

"Well, after seeing her reaction to this, I guess you can understand why I haven't told her I'm in love with a vampire", I whispered. It was the first time I'd used the word _'vampire'_ without hesitating before.

He chuckled at my words, though his eyes were more wary.

"But will it be easier to tell her now? I don't think she will be very…exorable"

"You want me tell her what you are?"

He rolled his eyes at me before answering.

"I meant telling her that I'm not just your _friend_", he explained slowly, as if talking to a 5-year-old.

"Oh"

I didn't want to think about that for the moment, though. I was still exhausted after waking up in the middle of the night, and worrying about how my mother would react when I told her about my feelings was only making me more tired.

Isaac grabbed my hand, noticing the sleepy look in my eyes. Even though he'd only been in my house once, he easily led the way up to my room.

Just like yesterday, we didn't do much – only this time, Isaac wasn't tense or upset like he'd been the earlier day. The silence that existed between us for the most of the time never got awkward.

It was so simple to be with Isaac, that I didn't notice the time passing until the sky outside slowly got darker and darker. I didn't care very much – the tiredness only got stronger for every hour that flew by.

Isaac, though, was more responsible than me.

"I think it's better if I leave now. I don't want to make your mother even more angry at you", he mumbled when the sun had finally set.

I barely nodded, my mind already drifting off towards sleep. I didn't want him to leave, but it was true that my mum would only get more unpleased if he stayed much longer.

He got up from my bed in a swift move. Before leaving my room, he bent down and whispered 'Goodbye' in my ear.

It felt weird letting him wander away alone, I was sure that he was both silent and fast enough to get out from the house without having my mother noticing.

The bed felt oddly empty now that I lay there alone in the darkness. I'd almost gotten used to feeling of Isaac's cold body next to mine.

A knock on the door suddenly interrupted the silence.

"Can I come in?", my mum's recognizable voice asked.

_**I'm SORRY! I know it has taken**__** so long time for me to update, but I've had a lack of inspiration. **_

_**Anyways, I've decided that I'm going to finish this story before I start uploading the other one. It's hard enough for me to update this story fast – it'll take even **__**longer**__** if I have another story, too x)**_

_**But since my other story won't show up here on until "Save me" is done, I thought it would be a bit fun to give you a little…sneak peak of it. So, yeah, here it is – the summary for my other story:**_

'_The creatures staggered forward, their dark ruby eyes craving for our lives. I glanced around, counting the vampires that surrounded us. They outnumbered us easily. _

"_Take them", an emotionless voice snarled, not caring about the two human lives that would be lost' _

_**Not really like "Save me", huh? ;P**_


	21. Resistance

**Resistance**

"Oh, great", I groaned.

"Jess?", she called. Obviously she hadn't heard my low complaint.

I kept my mouth shut. I was way too tired to even want to _think_ about the dreadful conversation she had waiting for me.

My silence didn't matter to her, though. After only a few seconds, she opened the door and peeked inside.

"Still awake?"

"No", I grunted and rolled onto my stomach, burying my head in the pillow.

I couldn't hear her light footsteps, but it wasn't a surprise to me when I felt the bed shift as she sat down on my bed.

"I didn't hear hi…_Isaac_ leave", she started conversationally.

"You didn't?", I mumbled; the sound came out muffled since I was talking with my mouth pressed to my soft cushion.

Her hand stroked the back of my head with surprising gentleness. I'd been expecting her to scream at me, or at least show some normal response to my earlier behaviour. Her tenderness took me off guard.

"Aren't you mad?", I asked, lifting my head slightly so that I could look at her.

Her expression was soft, her eyes freed from anger. When she spoke, her tone wasn't furious either.

"Not really. I know I've been a bit…complicated", she sighed. "But I know you've had a rough time, and I don't want to make it harder"

"Wow", I mouthed, shocked by her sudden change.

She chuckled at my stunned expression. Hearing her laugh, it was like remembering the earlier years of my life. Her expression was almost like it once had been, but she looked much older now; as if the anger she'd held inside had grown on her.

"I didn't know you thought I wasn't able to be nice sometimes", she said with a smile on her lips.

"Well…I wasn't really expecting…", I shrugged before my sentence was finished, then decided to change the subject. "Since we're going to be…reasonable…"

I stopped myself when I saw how the fury flashed across her face. She had probably guessed where I was leading the conversation.

"If it's about this guy, then…"

"It's about_ me_", I interrupted her. I waited a few seconds before I continued. "You said you didn't want to make things harder for me. And, if you really mean that, you know that we should stay here"

"There's no discussion about that. I've finally gotten a promotion, and I don't want to miss that chance"

"But…"

"Moving to a new house might be good for you, Jess. This place has too many memories"

"I don't _care_"

"But I do. You think you're the only one who's grieving? I loved him, Jess. And he's gone now"

Tears had started running down her cheeks, but she wiped them away in a fast move. I knew the reason; crying had always made her feel vulnerable. Weak.

I pretended not to notice the tears.

"I understand, mum. But if you make me leave, you'll take away the love from me, too"

Her eyebrows shot up so high that I almost thought they would reach her hairline. It took me a second to realize my slip.

"What?", she choked out.

"Uhm…I mean…I love this house"

My attempt to whitewash my mistake was almost humoristic. _I love this house_. I was such a great liar. Not.

"Jessica Anne Moore" She said my whole name slowly, almost as if those were the only words she could come up with.

"Olivia Lily Moore", I replied, pronouncing her name, too.

My answer made her roll her eyes at me before the mixture of shock and anger appeared in her eyes again.

"What did you say before?"

I pressed my head against the pillow again, trying to imagine that I'd never lifted it from there.

"Jess?"

I kept my lips pressed tightly together. It wasn't worth trying to explain away my earlier words.

"Fine. Don't answer me. But I'll talk anyway", she sighed. "I can't really say that I _understand_ what you meant, but I can sort of guess. I fell in love with others before your father, but I got over it. You'll get over it, too"

"No", I mumbled.

"Jess. It's just a crush. There will be a lot of other guys in Los Angeles. Everything will be fine"

"No", I repeated.

"Trust me, sweetie. He's just one among millions. There will be a lot of others like him out there. Maybe it's just better if you forget him and focus on the future"

"NO"

My muffled scream shocked my mum enough to make her get up and walk away from me. The last sound I heard from her was when she closed my bedroom door.

My sobs were hushed by the pillow, but the saltwater running down my cheeks soaked through the thin cloth. I didn't care.

I was not sure when the sun rose, but the world outside my window slowly woke up. Cars drove down the streets, children laughed as they walked to school…I continued to lie with my head pressed against the cushion, not really noticing how wet it was.

The world _inside_ of my house also got to life eventually. It was so quiet in my room that I could easily hear how my mum moved around in the kitchen downstairs. There was a low crackling sound as she prepared the breakfast, and then the smell of it made its way to my room. Pancakes.

"Jessica", my mum called, only seconds later.

Her footsteps echoed through the house as she jogged up the stairs. The door to my room squeaked – like it always did – as she opened it.

"I called your teachers and said you would stay home today. Thought you might need a day off"

I continued to ignore her attempts to cheer me up. My bad mood had not passed at all.

"I've made breakfast. Could you please come down?"

A sigh escaped my lips, but I slowly got up from my comfortable bed and walked over to my closet.

"Can I get some privacy?", I muttered to her.

She closed the door quickly, but I got a fast glimpse of her face. It was hurt.

I changed my clothes as fast as I could, not really seeing what I chose. It didn't matter to me. I was too depressed to think about what I was wearing.

My mum sat at the kitchen table when I'd stumbled my way down the stairs. She was gazing out the window with an absent-minded expression on her face. There was a plate with fresh pancakes on the table, a seat away from her. I grabbed it, but sat down at the other side of the table; as far away from her as possible.

"I got a mail from the hospital today. Says that we've got an appointment in two weeks"

I nodded, showing that I was listening.

"You'll finally get that plaster off your leg", she added with a smile on her lips.

"Great", I mumbled.

"Jessie", she sighed, using my dad's old nickname for me. "I'm sorry if what I said upset you yesterday. But…this whole thing with Isaac has gone a bit overboard. You've only known him for a few days, and you already think you _love_ him?"

"You know you're not allowed to call me that", I grumbled. "And you don't know anything about my feelings", I added coldly.

"I'm sure he's a nice guy, but I don't like the idea…"

"You know what? You don't _have_ to like the idea. I'm 16 years old; I'm not a child anymore. Let me make _some_ of my decisions"

"Of course you get to make your own decisions. But you _are_ still a child, and I am your mother"

"Fine then, make me miserable by moving. But I can promise you that…"

The sound of a car stopping outside the house made me stop my sentence with a low gasp. Both I and my mother stared at the front door with matching expressions on her face. There were no footsteps to warn us, so it came as a shock when the door bell rang; sharp and clear.

I got up before my mum could, and limped away from the kitchen. As I opened the door, my heart started thumping unevenly.

Outside, Isaac was standing – his dark brown hair a bit tousled by the cool wind that swept over my face, his blue eyes looking warmer than usual. All of him showed nothing but beautiful perfection. As he spoke, his voice was gentle as always, but also a bit amused as he took in my more or less shocked facial expression.

"You do know we start in about 10 minutes, don't you?"

_**Yeay, so I managed to remember a bit of what I'd written from the beginning. I guess I'm kind of lucky that we have two computers; I would have been **__**downright hysterical if I wouldn't have been able to update the story :O **_

_**Anyways, hope you guys liked the chapter ;) I hope I'm not starting to sound nagging, but you all know that I love REVIEWS :D**_


	22. Calmness

**Calmness**

"Uhm…", I mumbled. My mind had not recovered from the shock of seeing him.

He raised one eyebrow at me, still looking amused.

"I'm not going today", I explained in a low voice.

My tone and appearance finally seemed to break through his happy facade, because his eyes turned from joking to worried.

"Is something wrong?", he asked.

He stared at me with anxious eyes, taking in my dishevelled hair and odd outfit. I pursed my lips as I – like usual – started feeling self-conscious.

"No, no", I assured him, trying to avoid his scrutinizing gaze.

"Nothing's wrong?"

"No", I sighed.

I could hear my mum shuffling to her feet in the kitchen, so I took a step out and closed the door behind me. The movement brought me closer to Isaac, which made my cheeks flush.

"Do you have any idea how adorable you look when you blush?", Isaac murmured, stroking my bright red cheek.

His words washed away the despair I felt inside and replaced it with warmness. I peeked up at his smiling face and tried to imagine that everything would be okay.

Of course, that was when my mother opened the door.

Isaac's hand disappeared from my face before I could even blink and he took a small step back.

"What's going on out here?", my mum asked, her tone a bit too suspicious to sound casual.  
"Just talking", I replied in an uneven voice.

"Hm"

"Would you mind…?", I mumbled to her, glancing meaningfully at the door.

She gave me a long look before she went back inside.

"You told her, right?", Isaac asked.

"Yep"

"And she does not approve of it", he established.

"She'll just have to learn to", I muttered.

He chuckled, but the sound had a strained edge to it. I glanced up at his face again, easily noticing the difference there.

"Could you come back after school?", I asked, desperately trying to figure out how to make him smile again. I didn't want him to be miserable.

"Will your m…"

"I don't _care_ what she thinks"

He laughed again at my sour tone; the sound was happier now.

"Then I guess I'll see you later", he said with a smile lifting up the corners of his mouth again.

Before he left, he stroked my face again – sending a riot of butterflies to my stomach and a rush of blood up to my cheeks. I stared after him as he drove away, feeling the happiness drain from my face as I remembered my mum's words.

_It's just a crush._

I snorted to myself; I knew my feelings for Isaac could not be described as a _crush_. An older couple stopped at the sidewalk to glance at me, but I ignored them and got inside again.

* * *

The sun outside had just set, leaving the sky in a beautiful mixture of orange, pink and red. My day had passed quite slowly, yet I'd been able to avoid arguing with my mum again. Isaac had, as promised, showed up after school and thereby brought back the feeling of joy to me.

At the moment we were both positioned on top of my bed; my head was resting on his lap while he stroke my dark brown hair with cool fingers.

"How is it like, being a…vampire?", I asked carefully.

I could feel his body tense as my question took him off guard.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well…if I'm going to be like you, then…I should know"

Again, his body stiffened as he took in my words, but instead of avoiding my question, he took a deep breath and answered.

"It can be really hard sometimes, with the thirst. It takes some time to get used to it"

"Oh"

"It's easier for me, since I don't…hunt"

"Do you think it will be as easy for me?"

He didn't answer my question, so I peeked up at his face. His eyebrows crumbled over his blue eyes and his lips were pursed; it made him look worried.

"What now?"

"Are you really sure you want to be changed? It doesn't look like your mother will let go of you" His attempts to make me change my mind were only half-hearted.

"I'll find something out, some way to make her want to stay here"

He sighed. "You think you'll be able to do that?"

I chose not answer his question. He obviously took my silence for a _no_, because he sighed again – more unhappily this time.

"I noticed something different with you today", I said, changing the subject quickly.

"What?" My words confused him.

"Your eyes", I pointed out. "They look…warmer"

He smiled a tiny smile - he had not totally forgotten the other subject – but did not reply.

"Why are they different?"

"Because…"

"Because?", I prompted.

"It's the blood", he murmured, his voice strained with worry again.

I nodded as an answer, not sure if my voice would be as even as before if I spoke. My silent respond made him more anxious; his hand trailed down to my cheek and started stroking it carefully.

"Did I upset you?", he asked.

"No", I mumbled.

He didn't seem to believe me, because he continued to stroke my cheek with careful gentleness.

"Seriously, I'm not sad"

His body shook slightly as he chuckled at my words, but his expression did not change. I glanced away, searching for a new distraction.

"Could we go back to your place tomorrow?", I asked after a long moment of silence.

He hesitated before he answered. "I don't think it's a good idea"

"Because of Lucas?"

"Yes"

"He won't hurt me, Isaac", I murmured.

"You don't _know_ that"

I bit my lip, deciding whether or not to answer. He was obviously convinced that Lucas was a threat and I assumed that my weak assuring comments didn't change much.

So instead of starting an argument, I asked more questions about the most important subject. Vampirism.

Although I noticed how hesitant Isaac was before answering, I got to know much about his life style. I lost track of how many questions I asked; my curiosity was hard to hold back.

The time flew by in a rush, and it was a surprise to me when I glanced at the window and saw how pitch-black the sky outside was. I could only guess how many hours that had went by.

Fortunately, Isaac didn't notice the time change; he was busy playing with a strand of my dark brown hair. My mum had not disturbed us even once, which actually shocked me.

"Do you think she's asleep?", I asked Isaac; I knew he would know who I meant.

He cocked his head to the side, listening intently. Even without super hearing, I could easily notice how quiet it was downstairs.

"Would you like to stay the night?", I asked in a low whisper.

"If you want me to"

"You know I do", I mumbled and closed my eyes, overjoyed that he wouldn't have to leave.

Without noticing, I swiftly started drifting off towards a peaceful slumber while his fingers continued to comb through my hair.

"Can I ask you one last thing?", I mumbled, already half-asleep.

"M-hm?"  
"Do vampires sleep?"

The hesitation I'd expected did not come. "Sort of. It's more like resting, and it's not really a necessity"

"Why didn't you want to tell me before?", I asked, thinking about the first night he'd stayed.

He shrugged, which pretty much ended the conversation. My room got quiet - the only thing I could here was our breathing – which made my eyelids feel heavier.

For the third time that week, I fell asleep with his cold body close to mine.

_**So, I just saw that my s**__**ister – Mandydoll – has 15 more reviews than me :O It might have something to do with that her story is like ten times better than mine, but still… ;)**_

_**I'm sorry for taking so long time before updating the story, but it sort of feels like my inspiration is slowly fading :/ **_

_**By the way, I know the name for this chapter sucked, but I really couldn't come up with something else :) **_


	23. Drastic

**Drastic**

The following two weeks went fast, almost as if someone had pressed the 'fast-forward-button'. Every day reminded me of the last one; Isaac picked me up from school, drove me home later in the afternoon and usually stayed till the night. My mum was always there when we arrived, giving both of us angry glares.

I was never able to sway her from her decision to move, but neither could she make _me_ give up. Even though I knew I had no real chance to win the fight, I continued to struggle in every way I could; I did not pack my things, I did not want to see the new house. I even refused to listen to her when she spoke about Los Angeles.

At school, everything slowly got back to normal; people didn't give me as many worried glances before. Zac never tried to have a conversation with me again, either because of my hostility the last time we'd spoken or the fact that I was always with Isaac.

The plaster on my leg eventually got off, which gave me a deep feeling of smugness. No one had any reason to offer me help now that I could walk normally again.

My house seemed to get emptier and emptier for every day that passed; my mum was more than eager to move away from here, where the memories of her brighter life-time still hung in the air. I was the only thing stopping her from moving sooner.

The day after I'd been freed from my plaster and crutches, she decided to visit the new, bigger house in Los Angeles. She tried to _force _me to come with her, but of course she failed with that idea.

"Can't you just take a look?", she pleaded. "It's really beautiful, and I think you'll like it, even though you won't admit it"

"I don't want to go"

"Please?"

I shook my head; my arms crossed and my chin pointed out in a stubborn gesture.

She sighed, but retreated back to her room, sulking there for the rest of the evening. Her behaviour reminded me more of a child than a parent, but I was sort of used to it by the moment.

As planned, she left shortly after that – giving me one last sour look before driving away to the airport. She would be gone for about a week, long enough for me to find some new reason for her to stay.

I'd made no promises about Isaac, which felt like a relief to me. No matter how mad I was at her, I hated lying to her – it made my stomach twist with guilt.

Only minutes after my mum had left, the black shiny Mercedes parked in front of my house, announcing Isaac's appearance.

And so the time continued to pass by in a blur.

It was not until a whole week had passed that the absence of my mother started making me feel anxious. I'd been so sure that she would take as little time as possible – I knew she hated the thought of me and Isaac alone in the house – that her delay made me worry about her.

"Relax, Jessica", Isaac ordered in a soothing tone as we lay quietly on my bed.

The sky outside would have been pitch-black if not for the stars and the moon that brightened up the night.

I knew what he meant; my whole body was tense, waiting for any sound of my mother's homecoming.

"I'm worried about her. She's never taken any time when it comes to things like this"

"Maybe there's something wrong with the flights"

"She would have called me then"

He sighed heavily.

"Get some sleep"

I shook my head; a fast, jerky movement. My mind was alert, still listening for any approach in the dark night. Of course, there were none.

"Jessica…"

"I…I can't sleep. Not if I don't know that she's okay"

"Your mother is fine. I'm sure she'll call you in the morning"

I exhaled in a loud sigh, but closed my eyes and focused on relaxing every muscle. It did not work very well, but the sound of Isaac's breathing beside me and the feeling of his fingers wrapped around mine made me calm enough to fall into a peaceful slumber.

The bright beaming of the sun was comforting, and definitely not the reason why I woke up in the morning. A shrill sound was echoing through the half-empty house. The phone.

I grunted and rolled over to my stomach, only to realize that the movement should have made me collide into Isaac.

I lifted my head in a swift move, glancing around. The sound of the phone had cut off, and a low voice spoke from downstairs. Then, only a few seconds later, Isaac appeared in the doorway to my room. His forehead creased over his eyes, which were tight with some emotion I couldn't understand.

"Someone wants to talk to you", he murmured silently. His tone matched the expression he wore.

I got up from my much too comfortable bed and jogged down the stairs – feeling slightly smug that my legs would cooperate – while Isaac shadowed my footsteps. I grabbed the phone immediately from the small table where it lay, and pressed it to my ear with eagerness.

"Hello?", I asked, sounding a bit breathless after running from my room.

"Is this Jessica Moore?", a gruff male voice asked.

It took me a second too long to answer; I'd expected to hear my mother's familiar voice. The anxiety washed over me again as I thought about how many days she'd been gone.

"Yeah"

"I'm sorry to say that I have some bad news for you. It's about your mother, Olivia Moore"

"What about her?", I asked, my tone the tiniest bit louder than a whisper.

Isaac's arms wound around me – a gesture of soothing. The cool breath coming from his mouth tickled the skin on my neck, but I didn't really care about that for the moment.

The phone went silent for a little while as I waited for the answer I didn't really want to hear.

"What about her?", I prompted after half a minute.

My breath had got caught in my throat, so my words were barely audible. Still, the man cleared his throat and answered.

"She's…well, she's not alive anymore"

"What?", I half-screamed. It shocked me how loud my voice was.

"I'm _very_ sorry", the man hurried to apologize. "But she passed away last night"

"No, no. There's got to be some mistake. My mother is _not_ dead. No"

"I'm sorry", the man repeated.

My heart started beating furiously as I fought against the tears that lured behind my eyelids. Before I could stop myself, I hung up the phone and slammed it onto the table.

"Jessica?", Isaac murmured in my ear.

A violent sob shook my torso when I heard how his low voice was strained with anxiety, and my knees weakened in response. His arms were still around me, so when I sank to the ground – he followed my movements.

"I'm so sorry", he whispered as a whimper escaped my lips at the same time as the tears welled over and stroke down my face.

I buried my head against his chest, muffling the sound of my miserable sobs that echoed through the house where I sat, feeling as if someone had ripped my heart out.

_**Maybe not the greatest beginning, but it was sort of necessary for me to give you some details about **__**the other things in her life. Also, it's kinda boring to have like 3 chapters that only describe ONE day, so I guess you can say that it was me who pressed the 'fast-forward-button' ;D**_

_**Now, you know how to make me happy; REVIEW :)**_


	24. Death

**Death**

It was all my fault.

If I hadn't acted as a stubborn teenager and come with her, she wouldn't have died. Of course not. I didn't want to think like that; the horrible pain in my chest didn't ease very much when I reminded myself of this.

Almost to make the pain worse, I'd gotten to know what had happened to her. It hadn't been the fast and painless death I'd hoped for, but neither had it been slow and excruciating. A couple had found her body on the street outside the house where we'd been supposed to live. The strangest thing was that no one knew exactly _how_ she'd died; her body had been drained from blood and her neck had been snapped.

Of course I had my own suspicions.

I'd learned enough about vampires that I had no trouble figuring out what had happened to her. Vampires loved blood, they were silent as the night and incredibly strong. It all fitted in with the blood-drained body, the snapped neck and the quiet death. There was only one thing that wasn't right.

Isaac had told me there weren't many vampires out there, yet there had been one in Los Angeles the same night as my mother had been there. It seemed to precise to be a coincidence, but who could have killed her on purpose?

I wasn't the only one who was thinking like that – Isaac had done his own assumptions.

"Lucas", he suggested.

A whole day had passed since I'd gotten the horrible news, and we were once again positioned on my bed. The house felt emptier than ever, but that might have something to do with that almost everything was packed down in cardboard boxes. I didn't want to stay in the house anymore, and since there was no other choice – I was going to move into Isaac's massive house.

"Why would he do something like that?", I mumbled.

Isaac sighed, but changed the subject.

"I still don't like the idea of you being so close to him", he muttered.

"It'll be okay. Besides, you know I won't be human for that long"

"You're still so sure that you want to be changed?", he sighed.

"You know I am"

"But nothing's stopping you from staying here now. There's no pressure…"

"I've already made my decision", I interrupted.

And I had. The human life was not appealing at all, especially not with a tremendous aching in my chest – the effect of losing my mother. I was ready to be changed.

* * *

The last few days in my childhood house went by fast, and it felt like only seconds had passed when both I and Isaac were standing outside the large, black house. It was not as frightening as it had been the last time, but that was only because I knew how bright the inside was.

Isaac was tense as he opened the front door, but I knew he would calm down soon enough. The hallway wasn't empty as I'd expected it to be; Lucas stood a few meters away, his whole body as tensed as Isaac's.

"Hello", I mumbled. My voice broke through the awkward silence, and Lucas seemed to relax the slightest bit.

"It's nice seeing you again", he said politely, although I could see how his eyes turned strangely hostile.

Isaac muttered something unintelligibly beside me, and then led me past Lucas and up to his room.

* * *

It was in the middle of the night when I woke up by the sound of two low voices arguing. Isaac wasn't lying beside me anymore, and the room felt oddly dark and empty without him there.

I slid off the bed silently and tip-toed over the floor towards the door. The night was pitch-black, and I had to use my hands to make sure that I was going the right way.

Eventually I reached my goal, and I pressed my ear against the wooden door – listening intently to the conversation out there. It reminded me of the first time I'd been there, when I'd eavesdropped on the two brothers. Still, I couldn't make myself go back to the bed and wait for Isaac.

"How _could_ you?", Isaac's familiar voice hissed angrily.

"I only did you a favour", Lucas replied in a matching tone.

"You…you think you did me a _favour_?"

"What else could you call it? If I hadn't done it, you wouldn't have been able to be with her"

"I could have come up with another solution that didn't involve something like this", Isaac growled.

I was totally mystified by their subject, but I knew better than to make any noise. They would be angry enough if they found out that I was listening.

"Like what?"

"I don't know, but I would definitely not hurt her like you did. Do you know how much pain you caused her?"

"She seems to be fine"

"Oh, really? Do you know how much it hurts to hear her cry every night, just because of what _you_ have done?"

Cry every night? I couldn't remember doing that.

"She'll get over it", Lucas muttered. "Besides, it seems to me that her mother wasn't very nice. She didn't taste good, either."

A gasp escaped my lips before Isaac could respond, and every sound outside the door quietened. Just a second later, the door wrenched open and I stumbled into Isaac's body.

"Jessica", he murmured. "How long have you been standing here?"

I ignored his question and glared at the vampire standing behind him.

"What. Did. You. Do?", I hissed at him.

Lucas didn't answer me; he looked at me with calm eyes, which only made the anger inside of me grow even stronger.

I wormed myself out of Isaac's grip and took a step closer towards his brother. "What did you do?", I repeated.

"Jessica, calm down", Isaac ordered from behind me. His hand clamped down on my shoulder, but I shrugged out from under it and took the last few steps towards Lucas.

Just as I opened my mouth to scream in his face, the expression on his face changed. His cold green eyes glinted with thirst and his lip curled over his lips, revealing the bright white teeth.

The anger drained from my face as I took in the murderous look in his eyes.

"No", Isaac screamed.

_**Review?**_


	25. Pain

**Pain**

A shudder rippled through Lucas' body, and his mouth opened as he leaned towards me. I didn't even have time to react before Isaac's cold hand gripped my wrist and dragged me away from Lucas with enormous speed. My back hit the wall with enough force to blow the wind out of me, but Isaac didn't seem to notice. He stood protectively in front of me while Lucas glared at me with hungry eyes. His gaze sent shivers of fear down my spine and made my knees tremble slightly.

"Lucas, calm down", Isaac barked.

The only response he got was a growl.

"Calm _down_", Isaac repeated.

A low whimper escaped my lips as I saw how Lucas took a step closer, and the sound brought Isaac's attention to me. He turned around slightly to look at me.

"Just sta…"

His sentence was cut off as Lucas suddenly bounced at him and thereby knocked him to the ground. I gasped out loud, but neither of the two brothers paid me any attention this time.

I knelt down to the floor beside them, desperate to stop their fight.

"Go back…to my room…and stay there", Isaac ordered gruffly while he struggled to keep Lucas down.

I was too shocked to be able to get up on my feet again, so I crept towards the opening of Isaac's room. My eyes had adjusted enough for me to see where I was going, so it didn't take long for me to get inside the bedroom and close the door behind me. The sounds of the fight outside the door disappeared, but I was still so frightened that I couldn't stop the tremors of fear from shaking my whole torso. I crawled to the corner of the huge room and curled up there, trying to melt into the wall.

The blazing anger I'd felt inside was now completely gone and replaced by both sheer fear and the grief of loosing my mother – especially now that I knew for sure what horrible death she'd experienced. Just the small image of my mum's face made my eyes fill up with tears.

I don't know how long I sat there, my body shaking with both fear and tears, but eventually the door to the room slid open and someone peeked inside. It was too dark for me to see anything but the profile of the person.

"Isaac?", I whispered. I couldn't make my voice louder.

The person walked over to where I sat, and hovered over me. Although it was dark, I could clearly see the features of the person who stood in front of me. The hair was long and the eyes – which had a strange green colour – were filled with a fierce thirst.

My breath got stuck in my throat.

"Where…where's Isaac?", I whispered.

Lucas didn't answer my question. He leaned closer to me, but I cringed into the wall and covered my face with my hands.

His hand gripped my wrist tightly, and I couldn't stop a gasp from escaping my lips as I felt how cold his skin was. He dragged me up from the floor in a swift move – ignoring my shocked intake of breath – and pressed me against his stone chest. His arm wound around my back, stopping me from escaping, while his other hand pushed away the hair from my neck. I wiggled and wormed, desperately trying to get away from him as I saw how his head bowed forwards.

My worthless struggling stopped as I felt how a set of unbelievably sharp teeth sank through the thin skin that covered my neck. My whole body went limp and if it weren't for that his arms held me up, I would have slumped back to the floor. It stung deeply were his teeth were set, and the pain radiated through my whole body. It was almost a relief to me when a dark mist began to cover my eyes and the unconsciousness started making my mind blurry.

Just then, a familiar voice screamed my name.

The arm around my back disappeared and was replaced by a gentler one. Instead of being mashed against Lucas' body, I was now cradled in someone's arms. The air around me swirled uncomfortably, but I knew the feeling from before. Besides, I was more concerned about the horrible pain that ached in every cell of my body.

"Jessica?", Isaac's voice murmured anxiously. "Jessica, can you hear me?"

I groaned in response.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I…"

"It hurts", I interrupted him. I couldn't really focus on his apologizes.

Something touched the spot on my neck where the pain was centered, but it didn't hurt more than before. Isaac muttered something, but it was too low for me to hear what it really was. It sounded almost like a curse.

"It hurts", I repeated, lower this time.

"I know", he said soothingly. "But it'll be alright"

He started saying something else, too, but that was the exact moment when the unconsciousness sank down on me and made everything else disappear.

* * *

Even in complete darkness, the pain was as excruciating as before. Every other sense had disappeared; all I could feel was the unbelievably sharp pain that ached through my body. Strangely, it kind of reminded me of the time when I'd tried to kill myself.

Still, this time was so different.

I didn't dread for the reality, like I'd done the other time – I _longed_ for it now. I knew it wouldn't be the same as before, though. After learning as much as I had of what Isaac had said, I knew for sure that I wouldn't wake up as a…human.

That wasn't the only thing that was different; the pain I'd felt after jumping from the skyscraper was nothing compared to what I felt now. This pain trembled through my whole body slowly and tremendously painfully.

What frightened me the most was not the pain. It was that I had no grip on what was happening in reality while I was unconscious. Had Lucas calmed down enough or was he following Isaac and me? Would he attack if he caught up with us? There was no way for me to know the answers to those questions.

The sound of a voice suddenly cut through the endless silence, which surprised me enough to forget about the pain for a second.

"Stay _away_ from her", Isaac shouted to someone.

At first I thought that I was dreaming; it felt strange that my hearing would come back to me before my sight could. And the pain hadn't even disappeared yet.

But as I listened more closely, I could hear more sounds; the quiet set of footsteps, the wind blowing over my head and rustling the leaves in a tree. Was I outside?

"I won't hurt her again", another voice replied more calmly. Lucas.

Just the sound of his voice made me cringe mentally. But I couldn't really focus on the fear – I was very surprised that I could hear so _much_.

"I don't care. You will not get near her", Isaac growled.

A quiet sigh was heard. "Isaac, I've calmed down…"

"I said I don't care. And if you take another step, I promise you that I'll kill you"

No other words were spoken, but the air suddenly swept over my face, almost as if someone had rushed by me much too fast…

"No!"

I was frozen in shock as I realized that _I_ had been the one who'd screamed. But that was not only the reason why I was stunned; the pain had abruptly vanished and everything around me was bright and clear.

It took me a little while to realize that my eyes were open again.

**Sorry to say, but this story is kind of coming to its end… :/ So PLEASE review a little more now – give me some inspiration for the last chapters of this story :O**

**And I know, I know, that this chapter wasn't one of the longest, but anyway…**


	26. Creator

**Creator**

I wrenched myself upwards as soon as I understood that my eyes had reopened, and took in the scene in front of me. Isaac was standing directly in front of Lucas with his hands in fists. His face showed no anger, though, since it was turned towards me. Lucas, too, watched me with more or less shocked eyes.

I exhaled in a loud gust and relaxed from my tense position. My body felt strangely odd, so I looked down at my hands, which lay flat against the ground underneath me. The skin was not its usual crème colour – it was pale and white, and the texture of it looked hard.

At the same time as I made this discovery, I noticed a dry aching in my throat. I gulped loudly to try to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling, but nothing changed.

"You'll get used to it", Isaac murmured.

I glanced up at the sound of his voice. He was standing closer than before, looking at my face with eyes filled of mixed feelings. It was hard to pick out the emotions, but he almost looked…worried.

"It feels weird", I said quietly. My voice sounded smoother than before, but still there wasn't any huge difference.

"It's the thirst", Isaac explained.

"Oh"

I swallowed again, unsuccessfully trying to make the aching disappear.

"There's some…blood stored up in the house. We can go back now and get it"

I glanced around me, taking in my surroundings for the first time. The sun was clear on the sky, but it did nothing to my skin expect for making it dimmer lightly. Dark green trees surrounded us, which made me believe that we were in some kind of a forest.

"Where are we?", I asked after a few seconds.

"Just a few miles outside the town" Isaac didn't sound as casual as he probably wanted to.

"A few miles?"

He hesitated before he answered. "I…wasn't sure how you would react when you woke up"

"Oh", I said again.

Just the very thought of me _killing_ someone sent a shiver of fear down my spine. What if I wouldn't be able to control myself once I got close to humans?

Isaac bent down beside me and placed his arm gently around my shoulder. "It's going to be fine. You won't hurt anyone"

I was about to argue against him, but before I could open my mouth, I realized that his arm didn't feel as cold and hard as it used to. It was almost…soft.

I looked down at my own hand again as I spoke. "How do I look now?"

"What?" Isaac seemed confused by my sudden question.

"Have I changed much?", I asked.

His hand stroked my cheek slowly before it grabbed my chin and pulled it up so that I had to look at him. "Do you want me to show you?"

I nodded cautiously. His hand dropped from my face as he rose to his feet, but he grabbed my hand instead to help me get up, too. I let him lead me to a small river that ran beautifully a few feet away. The water's surface was as crystal clear as a mirror.

I slowly looked down at my own reflection, preparing for whatever image I would see.

I'd never thought of myself as beautiful, but as I stared at my changed body, I couldn't miss the magnificence. My dark brown hair looked shinier than before, but like usual it coiled down my back in large curls. The skin on my face was almost colourless, but there was still some unbelievable beauty in it. The biggest shock to me was my eyes; instead of being dark blue like before, they had an icy blue colour.

Beside me, Isaac looked down at my reflection as well. His eyes were not shocked like mine; they were filled with a familiar amusement.

"What do you think?", he asked with a smile on his lips.

"I look like you", I pointed out. The corner of my mouth lifted upwards as I heard how he chuckled.

Before he could answer me, a third person suddenly came into view on the mirror-like surface. Lucas. I'd almost forgotten about his presence.

"Indeed you do", he agreed.

The sound of his voice startled me, but I kept my feet planted to the ground and my gaze locked on my reflection. My jaw was clenched and my eyes were hard.

"Let's head back to the house now", Isaac said before Lucas could open his mouth to say anything else.

"Already?", I asked. My tone and facial expression turned nervous. "But I don't…what if I hurt someone?"

"We don't have to stay there", Isaac said. His hand stroked my cheek soothingly. "We can come back here, if you'd like. And _he_ doesn't have to come with us"

"Ah, it seems like you've forgotten something, Isaac", Lucas said quietly.

My eyes narrowed as I heard his voice again, and I turned around slightly to look at him.

"And what is that?", Isaac asked cautiously.

"Well, since I'm actually the one who…created her," – Lucas took a few steps closer to me while he spoke, and placed one hand lightly on my shoulder – "then shouldn't it be _me_ who make those decisions?"

Unable to stop myself, I shook off his hand and turned to Isaac again, who was staring at Lucas with confused eyes.

"What is he talking about, Isaac?", I asked.

"I don't know", he answered slowly.

"Oh, I think you know", Lucas said. "Don't you remember when _our_ creator left us?"

Isaac didn't answer in any way but to give Lucas a furious glare.

"He had to remove the marks so that…"

"I remember", Isaac interrupted fiercely.

"Remember what?", I asked. My gaze shifted from the two brothers' faces.

"It's no…", Isaac began to say, but Lucas interrupted him.

"When our creator wanted to leave us, he had to remove the marks he'd made when he had bit us. He wouldn't have been able to walk away otherwise"

For the first time, my fear for Lucas was replaced by curiosity. "Why not?"

"The mark is kind of…a bond. It's impossible for the creator to leave as long as the other one wears the mark"

I lifted my hand to my neck and searched a little until I found what I was looking for. The spot where Lucas had bit me was almost healed, except for a small but obvious…mark.

Isaac noticed what I did and it obviously upset him, because he grabbed my hand and pulled it away from my neck.

"Can't you remove it from my neck then?", I asked. My eyes were locked on Isaac's face, but Lucas seemed to understand that the question was meant for him to answer.

"Of course you…"

"No", Isaac interrupted quietly. Although his voice was low, it was still filled with anger.

"You know that if she wears that mark, she actually belongs to me", Lucas said calmly. He placed his hand on my shoulder again, almost as if to put emphasis to his words.

Just the thought of _belonging_ to him made me blaze with anger again, but I resisted the urge to shake his hand off again.

"It's too painful to remove it", Isaac sighed.

"I don't care", I objected. "It's my decision"

"Jessica, he'll have to reopen the wound", Isaac said in a voice that sounded almost like a growl.

"There's no other choice", I replied evenly.

Isaac sighed again. "Just wait until we're back at the house. You need to drink first"

"I have to drink blood?", I asked. My tone changed from determined to disgusted, and my nose crinkled.

"It's not that bad", Isaac murmured to me.

"Well, it's not as good as the original", Lucas protested.  
I gave him a dark look but before I could say anything, Isaac grabbed my hand again and dragged me a step back from Lucas.

"Let's go", he urged.

Lucas stepped forward so that he was in front of us and broke into a run. Isaac did the same, tugging me along. I didn't even have to control my feet; they flew over the ground with a speed that shocked me.

"Why does he have to be in front of us?", I asked in a low voice that was meant for only Isaac to hear.

Lucas answered anyway. "Because _you_ have to follow me"

I didn't know how to answer him, but I could feel the irritation spread inside of me. Could I be able to live a life with Lucas as a leader, or would I just have to stand the pain of removing the mark?

Of course I knew the answer to that question.


	27. Blood

**Blood**

The way back to the house went fast and silently, and it was a relief to me when we finally reached the point where the large, dark building stood. I didn't like the feeling of being outside when I didn't know if I could control myself.

"I'll go get the blood for you", Isaac murmured to me as soon as we'd gotten inside the house.

He stroked my cheek carefully before he walked out of the room, giving Lucas a strict look as he passed him. I stared after him for a few seconds, before I turned to Lucas – who was already looking at me.

"I never thought he'd leave you alone", he said after a long moment.

"Well, you can't hurt me now", I said with a shrug. My tone wasn't really as casual as I wanted it to be; I was also shocked that Isaac had left me alone with his brother.

"Oh, really?", Lucas murmured so quietly that I didn't know if it was to me or to himself.

I pretended not to notice his low comment anyway. "Can I ask you something?"

Lucas raised one of his eyebrows, which I took as a _yes_.

"Why did you do it?", I asked.

"Do what?"

I hesitated before I spoke again. "Kill my mother"

"Well, I heard you and Isaac talk one night. It seemed to me like she was…standing in the way between the two of you, so I…"

"So you thought you could just kill her?", I interrupted fiercely.

"Oh, don't get all hissy. You'll get over it"

A low growl escaped my lips, and I strode towards him – unable to stop the fury from exploding inside of me. Just as my hand was about to smack hardly against his cheek, he caught my wrist in a tight grip.

"Don't even try that", he said in a calm, but dangerous voice.

I glared furiously at him, but made no other attempt to hit him. After a few seconds, he let go of my hand and took a step back. Before I could stop myself, my hand flew up to his face.

Again he gripped my hand before it could slap against his cheek.

"Wasn't I clear enough before?", he growled at me.

He placed his hand at my shoulder and shoved me back a few feet until my back hit a wall. His other hand – which still held my wrist tightly – moved to my shoulder, too, so that I was pressed to the wall.

"I've been a vampire for over 40 years. You've been like this for a few hours. Who do you think is the strongest one?", he murmured quietly.

"You can't hurt me now", I said. My voice was not angry at all; it sounded nearly breathless.

"Why do you think so?", he asked.

"I'm not…human anymore"

"And that should stop me from hurting you, because…?"

When I didn't answer, he leaned closer until his lips brushed lightly just beneath my ear. My hands shoved against his chest in a desperate attempt to make him back off, but he didn't even seem to notice.

"Don't try to hit me again", he whispered. "Or I _will_ hurt you"

Before I had time to blink, he moved away from me and left the room. Just a second later, Isaac appeared in the doorway. In his hand was a plastic bag with something red gulping around in it. Blood.

He immediately noticed how my body pressed against the wall, and his eyes swept across the room, searching for his missing brother.

"Where's Lucas?", he asked.

"He…left…", I mumbled.

Isaac was suddenly standing in front of me, his eyes filled with worry. I blinked once in shock; I hadn't gotten used to the fast movements yet.

"Did he hurt you?, he asked, either pretending not to notice my reaction or just ignoring it.

"No, I'm fine", I assured him.

"Jessica, tell me what…"

"He didn't do anything"

_More than threatening me_, I added in my thoughts.

Isaac didn't seem to accept my answer, but I spoke again before he could ask anything else.

"Am I really supposed to drink that?" I glanced meaningfully at the blood he held in his hand.

He looked down, too, almost as if he'd forgotten that his hand wasn't empty.

"It taste better than it looks", he assured me. A small smile enlightened his face, washing away the anxiety from his eyes.

"Really?", I asked carefully, giving the bag with blood another glance.

He placed a finger gently under my chin and tilted it up so that my eyes had to meet his.

"Really", he promised.

While I stared into his piercing blue eyes, I couldn't stop myself from leaning closer and pressing my lips to his, taking him slightly by surprise. Before I could lean back again, Isaac's hands wound into my hair, locking my lips to his. Something dropped to the floor with a plopping sound, but I didn't really notice.

When Isaac finally broke free from me, my breathing was ragged and my eyes wide with surprise.

"That was…new", I managed to say when I was able to breathe normally again.

He chuckled at my reaction, although I could hear how he also sounded a bit breathless. I smiled a little, but just as I opened my mouth to speak, my nose caught a smell that made my throat ache more wildly than before.

I dropped to my knees immediately and glanced down at the floor where the plastic bag had landed and broken. There was a small pool of blood just beside my hand, and my eyes closed as I leaned closer to it…

Isaac's voice made me snap back to reality. "Jessica?"

My eyes widened with shock as I realized what I'd just been about to do, and I lurched myself up from the floor.

"I can't control…I need to get out of here", I blurted out.

I ran out from the room with impossible speed, and opened the front door quickly. My eyes closed again as I inhaled the fresh scent of nature in the air, and I took a few step out of the house. I suddenly collided into something hard, and my eyes snapped open again.

Lucas was standing an inch away from me, his green eyes locked on my face.

"May I ask what you're doing?", he asked, his gruff voice filled with amusement.

"I…needed to get…out", I mumbled.

He raised his eyebrows at me, but he didn't have time to say anything else until I heard how Isaac approached behind me. His arms encircled me, and I could feel how my body relaxed the tiniest bit.

"I can't drink it, Isaac", I whispered.

Lucas answered me before Isaac could. "You have to. Otherwise you'll get weaker and weaker…"

"I wasn't talking to you", I interrupted.

His eyes narrowed as he heard my hostile tone, but he didn't say anything.

"He's right, though", Isaac murmured in my ear. "You have to drink it"

I sighed. Just the very thought of drinking blood made me nauseous, but of course I trusted Isaac to tell me the truth.

"Fine, then", I said after a short moment of silence.

Isaac led me back into the house while Lucas followed silently behind us. We didn't go back to the room where we'd been before; we continued through the hallway and down a staircase to what had to be the cellar of the building. There were large dust bunnies in every corner of the room, and cobweb hang from the ceiling.

"Maybe time to clean down here?", I commented quietly.

Both Isaac and Lucas chuckled in response.

There was only one thing down there, except for the dirty stuff. A large shelf was placed in the southern part of the room.

"Is this where you keep…stuff?", I asked.

"If you mean blood, then yes", Lucas answered.

It was extremely annoying how he answered every question, but I knew better than to complain.

As soon as Isaac had fetched a new bag, we went back up to the hallway. Isaac seemed to sense that I didn't want to go back to the room where he'd dropped the first bag, so he started leading me up the stairs towards his bedroom. He motioned me to get inside there first, while he stopped in the doorway to the room.

"You can stay out here", he said to Lucas, before he closed the door.

"That was a bit harsh, don't you think?", I asked with a smile on my lips.

"I know he did something to you before", Isaac answered with a shrug. "You could help me by telling me exactly _what_ he did"

He walked over to where I stood and I leaned closer to him, but he stopped me by grabbing my hand and dropping the plastic bag in it. On the side of the bag was a straw, which he now pulled off and stuck into the plastic material. A scent of what was in the bag sought its way out, and I swallowed loudly as I felt the wild aching in my throat again.

"Drink", Isaac ordered mildly.

My eyebrows furrowed over my eyes as I gazed at the drinking straw.

"Just close your eyes and think of it as…water", Isaac suggested.

I swallowed again before I closed my eyes and leaned closer until my lips found the thin straw. I sucked in deeply and felt how the liquid trickled down my throat with strange warmness. Before I could stop myself, I drank more and more. The bag emptied quickly.

My eyes opened slowly again and I let a relieved sigh escape my lips as I realized that I was done.

"How are you feeling?", Isaac asked carefully.

The pain in my throat had nearly disappeared, and I felt oddly warm inside. The disgust I'd felt before over having to drink the blood had also vanished, and was now replaced by a sense of well-being.

I wasn't really sure how to answer his question, though, so I walked over to his huge bed and sank down on the soft material. Isaac followed my example and sat down beside me.

"Can you please tell me what happened with Lucas earlier today?", he suddenly asked.

I sighed before I answered. "It was my fault. I tried to hit him"

"You tried to what?", Isaac gasped.

"Hit him", I mumbled. I kept my gaze locked on my hands, which lay flat against my knees.

"And what did he do?", Isaac asked slowly after a short moment of silence.

"Nothing"

Even I noticed the false detection in my voice, so I knew for sure that Isaac did, too. His hand suddenly grabbed one of mine gently, distracting me for a second.

"What did he do?", he asked softly, although I could hear how the anger burned behind the words.

"He…" I took a deep breath before I continued in a quiet voice. "He said that he would hurt me if I tried that again"

Isaac was up from the bed in the split of a second, already hurrying to the door. I got up, too, and rushed after him. I knew he was stronger than me – Lucas had informed me well about the strength – but I grabbed his wrist anyway, desperately trying to stop him.

Even though he could easily break free from my grip, he skidded to a halt.

"Please, don't fight", I begged.

Isaac took a deep breath before he suddenly pulled me into a hug. His body was still tense, and when he spoke again his voice was strained. It didn't sound like he was angry, though; his voice was almost pained.

"Do you still want to remove the mark?", he asked.

I nodded hesitantly.

"Then you should get as you wish", he murmured quietly.

"But I thought you didn't want me to remove it"

"I've changed my mind. You will not belong to him in any way"

I opened my mouth to say something, but Isaac spoke before I could.

"Lucas", Isaac called. "Can you come in here for a second?"

_**There, a LONG chapter :) I wasn't fully satisfied with it, though, but still…**_


	28. Killer

**Killer**

It took less than a second for Lucas to appear in the doorway to the room. He looked at the two of us for a long moment, before Isaac finally broke the silence.

"Can you remove the mark?", he asked.

Lucas tilted his head to the side and focused his gaze on me instead of Isaac.

"Are you sure you want that?"

"Why wouldn't I?", I asked in a confused tone.

"Because, as my brother has already pointed out, it actually hurts"

I crossed my arms across my chest before I answered in an angrier voice than before. "I rather take the pain than to have to belong to you"

"Ouch. A bit upset about what happened earlier today?", Lucas asked with a mocking smile on his lips. "You didn't have to tell Isaac. I wasn't actually going to hurt you."

"Have you been eavesdropping on us?", I gasped. His last sentence didn't bother me as much as the other one.

Lucas walked over to where I stood and tapped his finger lightly at my ear. I flinched away from his touch at the same time as Isaac took a protective step closer to me.

"If you'd paid a little more attention, you'd realize that you don't have to _eavesdrop_", Lucas said, ignoring both my and Isaac's reaction.

"You didn't have to listen", I muttered.

"Even if I don't _listen_, I can still _hear_"

Isaac spoke before I could say anything else. "Can we please have this argument _after _you've removed her mark?"

"Fine", Lucas said with a shrug before he took a step closer to me and reached his hand up to my neck.

I tried to back away, but Isaac moved to stand behind me. His arms wound around me, both as a soothing and restraining gesture.

"He won't hurt you. He's just going to remove it", Isaac murmured.

I pulled in a deep breath and closed my eyes to calm myself as Lucas swept away my hair and exposed my neck. Since I wasn't looking, it was a surprise to me when I felt how Lucas' teeth scraped against my bare skin.

It was not until he reached the point where the mark of his teeth was set, that the pain ached through my body. Although it wasn't as bad as it had been when he had bit me, it hurt enough to make a shocked gasp escape my lips.

After less than ten seconds, a familiar darkness started making my mind blurrier and blurrier, while the pain faded.

The last thing I felt before I fell deeper into the unconsciousness was how Isaac picked me up in his arms and laid me carefully on the comfortable and soft bed.

* * *

For once, the blackness was both comforting and painless. It was actually a disappointment to me when I felt every sense come back to me, bringing back both worry and pain.

Isaac noticed that I was awake before I had even opened my eyes.

"Slept well?", he murmured close to my ear.

I lifted my eyelids slowly, trying to adjust my eyes to the sharp light coming from outside.

"How long have I been gone?", I asked. Although I knew my voice should sound raspy after being unconscious for quite a while, it sounded perfectly smooth.

"A little more than a day"

As he spoke, his hand trailed softly over my neck, reminding me of the last few minutes before I'd passed out.

"How did he remove it?", I asked. The curiosity burned behind my words.

"The first time you bite someone, it leaves a mark on the neck. But if you reopen the wound, it actually heals itself. I know it sounds easy, but – as you probably know – it's very painful"

"Couldn't you have done it then?"

"Only the creator of the mark can remove it. Nothing would have changed if I'd tried to take it away"

I pursed my lips as I considered this. He'd given me more information than ever, but I figured it was because there was no use in keeping secrets now.

"Why did Lucas do it?", I asked after a little while.

"What do you mean?"

"He didn't have to remove it, so why did he?"

Isaac chuckled. "I know you've only seen the bad side of him, but he's not always that mean. It's been a while since he acted nice, though."

I smiled at the sound of his laugh; he sounded much happier than before. But just as the happiness started spreading inside of me, a stab of pain shot through my throat. I groaned out loud as I recognized the feeling of being thirsty.

"What's wrong?", Isaac asked, his voice thick with concern.

"Would it be weird if I told you that I'm…thirsty again?", I asked. Although my body craved for the blood, my nose once again crinkled with disgust.

Isaac laughed at my facial expression before he answered. "If you think about that you've been unconscious for over a day, then you'll realize that it's not that strange. And it is like that in the beginning."

"How long will it be like that?"

"It's different for everyone. But I would probably say about a…year"

"A year?", I gasped.

"I know it seems like a really long time, but trust me, it will pass quickly"

"It _seems_ like a long time? For God's sake, it's a _year_", I hissed.

I got up from the bed in a swift move and walked over to the large window. I gazed outside in an attempt to calm myself.

The sun shone brightly at me from the cloud-free sky, and the light made the green lawn glitter. I sighed as I took in the beautiful image of freedom.

"I can't go out as long as I'm like this", I mumbled quietly.

"Of course you can", Isaac assured me. He was still sitting on the bed, assuming that I needed some space. "We'll just have to be a bit careful"

"By careful you mean…not being near humans, right?"

He didn't answer me, but his silence was almost the same as a _yes_.

"Will I…"

My voice trailed off into silence as I suddenly heard the sound of an engine far away in the distance, and my eyes darted around – searching for the source of the sound.

"Who could that be?", Isaac murmured to himself behind me.

I spun around and strode towards the door, driven by the curiosity of who could possibly come to visit.  
"Jessica, I don't think you should…"

I ignored him and sprinted down the stairs towards the door. I could hear how Isaac followed behind me, but he made no intention to stop me. As I opened the front door, the curiosity turned into nervousness.

The person standing outside was a male human.

"Good afternoon. My name is Lloyd Gate. You must be Jessica", the man said politely.

His voice was frustratingly familiar, but I couldn't really remember where I'd heard it before.

It took me a second too long to answer. "Uhm…yes"

"You look very different, I may say. I saw this picture of you…"

I cut him off before he could finish the sentence. "It must have been an old picture"

"Right", he agreed, although I could hear the mistrust in his voice.

"Do I know you from before?", I asked to distract him.

"I spoke to you last week, when your mother had…passed away"

"Oh"

"There are some things I didn't have time to tell you then" He took a little pause before he continued. "Since you're under 18 years old, we are willing to find you a new home…"

"I already have a new home", I interrupted.

"Well, an adult has to agree to the terms of…"

"That has already been fixed" This time it was Isaac who interrupted the man.

"I haven't gotten any information about that", the man – Lloyd – said. "I can check my papers, though, if you'd like"

Isaac nodded stiffly, and I glanced up at his face. His eyebrows furrowed over his eyes, which made him look more worried than angry.

"How did you know that I was here?", I asked while Lloyd shuffled around in his bag.

"Zac Turner told me I might find you here"

My eyebrows rose with disbelief as I heard his answer, but Lloyd didn't seem to notice my reaction.

"Let's see", he mumbled to himself as he checked through a stack of paper he'd picked up from the bag.

He suddenly flinched, as if someone had hit him.

"Is everything alright?", I asked carefully.

"I just cut my finger", he muttered.

I inhaled in a shocked gasp, which made a scent of his blood seek its way into me. A shiver trembled through my body as I felt the burning aching in my throat again, and I took an involuntary step forward.

"Jessica, don't", Isaac murmured so quietly that I was the only one to hear.

His hands wrapped around my arms to hold me back, but I shook them off harshly. It was as if I lost control of my body's actions then; my body hurled forward and lunched into Lloyd's body, although a voice in my head screamed to stop me.

My teeth sank through his skin before I could stop myself, and then it was too late.

His whole body went limp and slumped to the ground, but before I could follow him down, Isaac grabbed my arms tightly and dragged me back into the house.

I glanced down at my white hands, which were covered in some of Lloyd's blood, and felt a wave of nausea roll through my body.

I had killed him.

_**To be continued in "Stay with me", sequel to "Save me"…**_

_**Yep, so that was actually the end of "Save me" :O Feels kind of weird in a way, since I've been writing this story for like 4 months now…**_

_**I just want to thank you all for giving me such great reviews, and I would definitely not mind if you typed a little one now and told me what you think about this story ;)**_

_**Anyways, "Stay with me" will be the sequel to "Save me", and I promise that I'll upload it here on as soon as I possibly can, so don't forget to read it ;D**_


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